Take Me Back
by HartToHart
Summary: Zoe & Wade - set six months from 2x10. Their lives are changing and she just wants him to take her back to the way things used to be...
1. Chapter 1: Pretty Perfect

**Hey guys so this is going to be my first full length Hart of Dixie fic. I hope you like it...and I'd love to hear from you what you'd like to happen next/anything I could change to make it better :) the more reviews the fast I update! XOXO**

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_So her life was pretty perfect. She said pretty perfect, not perfect. She still lived in Alabama, owned only half of her medical practice and had never even begun her cardiothoracic fellowship. Her mother was still her mother and her father was still…well not her father. Harley was still six feet under and half the town still hated her. But aside from that…her life was pretty perfect she thought. She now had 45% of the patients at the practice and most days Brick treated her like she was a real doctor, not an extension of his mall loving teenage daughter Magnolia. Lavon Hayes was the best friend she had ever had, Rose was a close second with her endless boy drama and WWCBD's (What Would Carrie Bradshaw Do?). Her mother was over a thousand miles away and her father had actually called to tell her about an interesting surgery he'd had which she'd seen right through and waited patiently for him to tell her that he missed her. She'd finally finished redecorating the carriage house and she had to say she was pretty proud of it, of what they had achieved; they being her and Wade. Wade. Wade was the most pretty perfect thing about her whole life. He still drove her crazy, he left his socks on the floor, used up all of her good shampoo and made her want to scream, cry and laugh on a daily basis. But he was her Wade and that made all the difference. He kissed her good morning as they snuggled in bed, kissed her goodbye as she finished her breakfast, kissed her good afternoon when they met for lunch at the Rammer Jammer, kissed her good evening when he got in from work and kissed her goodnight as the curled up in bed. It was pretty darn perfect. _

Rolling over onto her back Zoe smiled as Wade's hand grazed her waist, his arm still flung protectively across her body as it had been all night. She could tell he was still in between sleep and awake as he mumbled softly under his breath. She turned into him, studying his features as her fingers slowly traced his jaw. Deciding that he could use the extra sleep she slowly peeled herself away from the warmth and comfort of the bed – and his body – as she sat upright. All of a sudden her world began to spin, her vision dimmed, her stomach lurched as she flung herself towards the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time as she emptied the contents of her stomach and fell to her knees on the cold tiled floor. She retched again, her stomach aching as it tried to bring up nothingness. She felt faint and tired as she slumped against the bathtub, one hand over her abdomen. "Zoe? Zoe are you alright?" She heard Wade call from the bedroom but she didn't raise her head from her chest. "Zo…?" He called again as he padded through to see her.

"I was sick." She mumbled pitifully, aware that she was in fact the world's worst patient.

"I could tell." He chuckled softly as he flushed the toilet and scooped the tiny doctor up into his arms. "Now back to bed." He soothed as he carried her back through into her bedroom, laying her down gently and tucking the comforter up underneath her chin. "I'll call Brick and if you're still not feeling well then I'll get him to swing back this afternoon. You get some shut eye and I'll go make you some breakfast." He said softly as he stroked her hair back from her clammy forehead. "Zoe Hart, you almost never get sick." He shook his head.

"First time for everything." She murmured; the familiar twinkle back in her eyes before she let them flutter closed.

Wade sat on the bar stool waiting for the toaster to pop out his bagels as he watched the clock. Lavon ambled into the kitchen, DiDi right on his heels. "Oh hey Wade." Lavon grinned sheepishly. "Didn't know you'd be here this early."

"Hoped I wouldn't be more like." Wade laughed at his friend's embarrassment. "It's good to see you again DiDi." He grinned as she slipped out the back door, waving goodbye to Lavon with one of her special smiles. "Zoe threw up." Wade groaned as Lavon eyed him suspiciously as he tried to balance two bagels, orange juice and a mug of tea between his hands.

Lavon nodded and sighed. "Yup, it's coming up for flu time." He said matter of factly. "Doctor's are always the first ones to get it too."

"She's just so damn pathetic when she's ill. Can't do nothin' for herself." Wade shook his head a small smile creeping across his lips. "It's the only time she really lets me take care of her." There was a warmth to his voice that Lavon didn't hear often, a sensitivity that he would swear never existed if someone called him on it. He had it bad for Zoe Hart, whether he cared to admit it or not. That boy was hook, line and sinker.

As Wade lay down her breakfast on the empty nightstand she opened one eye, cautiously scooting back into her pillows so she could sit upright. "I'm not feeling too bad Wade." She pouted, pointing down at her medical bag. "Can you just grab my thermometer?"

"Now Zoe Hart you are not going to diagnose yourself like last time. Remember that, when you had me rushing you out to Mobile Hospital because you were sure you'd contracted some rare tropical disease which turned out to be…yep food poisoning." He grinned down at her. "Why don't you let me play doctor for once and just sit down and hush up."

She pouted again but didn't protest as he began feeding her bits of bagel, the tea settling her tummy as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. "Better?" He asked as she rested her head on his shoulder some twenty minutes later.

"Much." She yawned and stretched her arms up over her head. "Tell Brick I'll be in after lunch."

"Zoe!" Wade gaped at her. "You should take the day off. Get some rest woman!"

"I'll have some rest and if I can stomach some more food then I'll be fine to go to the practice this afternoon." Zoe protested firmly. "If not, then I'll stay in bed. I promise." She crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Yeah yeah." Wade sighed as he pulled on a pair of jeans and one of his plaid shirts. "I gotta run babe, the Rammer Jammer won't open itself!" He caught a glimpse of the clock on the mantelpiece and stuffed his feet roughly into his shoes. "I'll call Brick from the truck and you make sure you call me at noon too, you mind?" He pressed a kiss to her forehead and shook a finger at her. "And don't you be gettin' outta bed until at least eleven!"

A few hours later Zoe lay staring at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. Her stomach had calmed, she had no fever, no aches and pains, no shivers, no cramping. She felt perfectly fine. Easing herself out of bed Zoe walked across to her coffee machine. With Wade at work there would be nobody else to blow the power for so she made herself a nice strong cup of black coffee and sat sipping it on the front porch as Burt Reynold's slithered past on his way to the pond. She took a leisurely bath, still pondering her mystery sickness until she remembered that slightly off looking sandwich she'd eaten yesterday from Lavon's fridge, cursing herself for being stupid enough to trust Wade when he said it was barely a day old. Very mild food poisoning; that was the obvious answer. Zoe trusted her judgement implicitly.

Calling Brick and then Wade she dressed for work and then backed her Prius out of the drive and along the dirt track into the heart of Bluebell. She hated to drive on such a beautiful day but her Jimmy Choo's weren't really made for muddy tracks and alligator escapes. Breezing into the office she smiled at her patients, said good afternoon to Addie and then settled herself behind her desk. "Zoeeeee!" She heard Rose squeal as she entered the room. "I heard you were sick this morning and wanted to check that you were still gonna be alright for our movie night tonight?" The teenager bounced excitedly up and down on her heels.

She couldn't help but smile. Rose was so infectious with her enthusiasm. "Yeah! Sex and the City marathon on HBO, wouldn't miss it for the world." She grinned. "It was just some bad sandwich I ate from Lavon's fridge." Zoe shrugged. "Better out than in!"

"Wow…like TMI." Rose held up her hand in mock disgust. "Bet Wade was treatin' you like a princess though huh?"

"Little bit." Zoe smirked, re-watching the little scene from this morning in her head as he carried her back to bed. "What can I say…he loves playing the hero."

"Like Mr Big." Rose smiled dreamily. "So did I tell you about what Frederick Dean said to me last night…"

As the waiting room emptied in the late afternoon sunshine Zoe rocked backwards in her chair, absent-mindedly picking up her desk calendar and flipping back through it. May 14th was her mother's birthday, on May 20th she'd gone with Wade to the big high school football match, May 24th had been her and Wade's six month anniversary. Her eyes gravitated towards the little red circle on May 3rd. What had happened on May 3rd? She racked her brains, drawing a blank as she counted back the days of the previous month. She checked the patient roster, the calendar on her phone. Nothing. May 3rd, May 3rd. She scratched distractedly at her arm, gripping them both tightly as she tried to remember. She squirmed as she felt the thin bit of plastic move beneath her arm and then like that morning, her stomach dropped like 10 feet. Scrabbling around in her handbag Zoe pulled out her purse and flicked through the credit cards anxiously until she unearthed the card she was looking for. Her name printed inconspicuously on the back, Zoe found the date she was looking for. May 3rd 2013 date of expiration. Medicorp Contraceptive Implant.

She bit her lip thoughtfully. She really should have written down why May 3rd was so important. With all that had been going on it had slipped her mind completely. When she'd got the implant put in she'd been in a relationship with Zach, she hadn't had to think about it much since she'd got to Bluebell but the last six months had been a whirlwind and she'd been glad that contraception was literally the last thing on her mind with Wade. She got up from her desk, standing in front of the long mirror as she lifted her shirt up to display her toned midriff. There was no way that she was pregnant. Look at her. It was just a stupid coincidence Zoe told herself as she smoothed her shirt back down over her perfectly toned stomach. Stupid sandwich and a stupid mistake that she'd forgotten to get her implant renewed. Oh well, she'd get Brick to write her a prescription for the Pill tomorrow when he was back in and until that had started working her and Wade would just have to be more careful.

I'm not pregnant. She told herself firmly but somewhere in the back of her mind Zoe Hart knew that she didn't believe in coincidences.


	2. Chapter 2: Thin Blue Line

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I loved hearing your comments and what you wanted to happen!**_

_**It's been a little while since I properly wrote any good fanfiction and I'm just experimenting with writing styles a bit... I can't wait for this week's episode although I hope they don't keep bringing up all the old George jelousy issues like last week, that scared the crap outta me! Zoe/Wade forever :)**_

_**I know this fic is starting quite slowly but I wanted to really set the scene with the characters, it will be a lot more plot driven in the later chapters :) Chapter 3 onwards will hopefully be pretty exciting plot wise! **_

_**Again please please please read and review and if there's anything you think is good or bad please let me know!**_

_**Forgot a disclaimer in the first chapter so here goes:**_

**_I own 43 pairs of shoes but I don't own Hart of Dixie!_**

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**Chapter Two: Thin Blue Line**

_Carrie ran wildly across the busy road, dodging buses and cabs as she tried to make up the lost time. "Sometimes you're at a crossroads." She said, the rest of her monologue lost on Zoe as she dipped in and out of her favourite TV show. "Sorry I'm late." Carrie apologised as Miranda's face became tight. "Yeah well I'm three weeks late. I'm pregnant." _

Zoe's hand gripped the fabric of the sofa tightly as she and Rose watched as Miranda came clean to Carrie, the positive pregnancy tests, the doctor's appointment, having sex with Steve. Rose giggled in all the right places as Zoe chewed her lip silently. Since her little discovery earlier in the day she had barely spoken, her mind still playing on the useless little piece of plastic wedged under her skin. How could she have been so stupid as to forget something as monumentally important as this? I mean it wasn't like sex had ever been far from her mind, with Wade it was pretty much an everyday occurrence. She itched to have a minute to herself to take one of those stupid tests but since the afternoon she'd hardly had a moment to think. Wade had left for his brother's bachelor party just before Rose had turned up at the carriage house making it near impossible.

Trying to pull herself back into the present Zoe pinched her arm lightly, reminding herself that she was supposed to be spending some quality time with Rose who had been feeling more than a little neglected lately. The bubbly teen bounced excitedly up and down on Zoe's sofa as Miranda decided to keep the baby. "I don't get how anyone could ever get an abortion." Rose said piously, raising an eyebrow at Zoe as she turned to face her. "I mean it's like practically murder."

Zoe shifted uncomfortably. "Rose you know that it's a very individual and difficult choice for many women. Sometimes it's medically unsafe for them to carry the child or what if they can't provide for them. Is it better to give birth to and raise a child you never really wanted and could never love?"

Rose folded her arms. "I'm just saying. I couldn't do it."

"That's better." Zoe sighed as she rubbed a hand over her face tiredly. "You are entitled to your own opinion but I wouldn't be so quick to judge, especially if you've never been in that position."

Rose's eyes widened slightly as she heard a hitch in Zoe's voice. "Have you?" She asked cautiously as she poked Zoe in the arm.

Zoe shook her head slowly. "Not per se." She wriggled further down into the sofa, her eyes passing over Rose thoughtfully. "But I've had a couple of close calls Rose and honestly it's the scariest feeling in the world." She thought back to the other handful of pregnancy tests she'd taken over the years. Admittedly she'd always been in a committed relationship at the time but the very thought of having children had made her want to hurl. "Seriously kiddo, as soon as you think about having sex get some protection." Zoe dug her toes into Rose's side as she sent the teenager shrieking onto the floor with a thump.

"Owww! Zoeeeeee. Stop acting like my Mom!" She giggled, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Me and Frederick are like barely datin'." She added matter-of-factly.

Zoe extended her hand to Rose and pulled her back up onto the sofa with her. "What so no making out, no cosy little exchanges under the bleachers…or behind the Rammer Jammer?" She pried, smirking as Rose avoided her gaze guiltily. "I knew it! Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Zoe bounced up and down in an uncanny imitation of Rose.

"How did you know?" Rose laughed as she covered her face with her hands, peeking out shyly at Zoe.

"Waaaaade." Zoe drawled out his name, her eyes locked firmly on the teen's flushed face. "He said he caught the two of you gettin' pretty familiar with each other out back by the fence."

"Okay so we made out…a bit…well okay a lot." Rose giggled. "He makes me feel like…like I'm the only girl in the whole world and he said he'd wait until I was ready and he's real gentlemanly and stuff." She practically squealed as she grabbed Zoe's hands. "He just…perfect." She smiled and Zoe couldn't help but smile too.

Rose deserved to be happy and Zoe couldn't think of a better kid for Rose to fumble through these early days of romance with than Frederick Dean. "Just remember that I'm always here if you want to talk." Zoe patted Rose's knee, her inner doctor not able to contain herself any longer.

"Yeah, yeah." Rose rolled her eyes. "I'll come and get a pill if I decide, Zo."

"Good."

For a moment Zoe wished she'd taken her own advice before she realised that Rose was looking at her weirdly.

"Zoe are you okay? You keep like zoning out?" Rose asked as she moved closer to Zoe on the sofa. "You know you can tell me anything. I'm a real good secret keeper." She smiled eagerly.

Zoe nodded reluctantly. "I know Rose. It's nothing, just a patient." She sighed as she got slowly to her feet. "Now I better be getting you home, your Mom will be worrying about you." She picked up her car keys and jangled them at Rose who sat pouting up at her from the sofa.

"I know you're hiding something and I'm going to figure it out." Rose stuck her tongue out at Zoe, childishly.

Zoe laughed, swatting playfully at Rose's head. "Come on you idiot." She dragged the teenager out towards her car as they sped off into the darkness, radio full blast. "Later Peaches." She called after Rose as she watched her walk up her porch. She saw Rose blush in the darkness. Wade had told her about Frederick's little nickname for Rose and she'd been itching to use it all evening. "See you tomorrow!"

She had been waiting all day to be alone so she could take the pregnancy test but now she had exactly what she'd been after, she couldn't help but put it off. Trailing from room to room in the tiny carriage house Zoe scrubbed, polished and cleaned everything in sight. She even tidied out her closet. Eventually as she sank down onto the end of the bed she sighed, better get it over with. Zoe glared at the offending cardboard box, the one that she'd driven all the way to Mobile to pick up seeing as how Frank at the Dixie Stop was one of Bluebell's biggest blabbermouths. It was late now - gone midnight and Zoe knew if she didn't take that test now she probably would never do it. Heaving herself up off the bed, she picked up the box and stomped towards the bathroom.

Sitting on the edge of the tub, fingers crossed Zoe counted down the seconds. This had got to be the longest three minutes of her life. Never had time ticked so slowly before…okay well that wasn't strictly true. There had been several other moments in her life when time had seemed to go backwards rather than forwards; watching her father pack up and leave, the time she'd been caught cheating on an algebra test, when she and her mother had had 'the talk'. All of these moments had made her itch to turn time forwards so she wouldn't have to deal with them any more…but now all Zoe wanted to do was go backwards to before she'd taken this stupid test, to before she had Wade had had sex. She wished none of this had ever happened.

As the second hand reached the 12, Zoe dared to look down at the small stick in her hand. Two blue lines stared back at her and Zoe felt a deep sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't ready to become a mother. She and Wade had barely emerged from the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Wade…what would he say? For the first time Zoe thought about how this would affect him and her together. Would they make it work, would he be happy, would he leave them? A tear trickled down her cheek as she 'What Iffed' her way into a minor panic attack. Zoe wiped away her tear angrily. Why was she crying? Zoe Hart did not cry.

Zoe Hart was a doctor, and doctor's thought logically. She wasn't ready to have a child and neither was Wade. Wade was practically still a child himself. Purely from a medical standpoint Zoe was pro choice, she believed that she should have to option to do what she pleased with her body. This was an unplanned and unwelcome pregnancy; she would be irresponsible to bring this baby into the world. Zoe quickly grabbed the telephone book she'd been using as a doorstop and looked up the number for the Family Planning clinic in Mobile. She would call tomorrow morning and make an appointment. Wade need never know.

As she snuggled into her empty bed a few minutes later Zoe tossed and turned. Her mind was wandering as thoughts whirled and rushed through her head, unable to switch off Zoe grumbled pushing her face further into the pillow. Eventually she must have drifted off as her daydreams became nightmares and she entered a world of her imagination.

_A heavily pregnant Zoe stood in the middle of the town square, alone, in pain. She looked down at her hands which were covered in blood and gasped. The blood dripped steadily from her as she stumbled along the path towards the practice. Pains surged through her abdomen as she clasped at her bump desperately. "Wade!" She called out, struggling to contain her sobs as more pains shot through her, tearing her in two. _

_Now she was standing in a strange kitchen, stirring a pot and humming happily to herself as a little girl came sliding into view. "Momma, Momma!" She called, looking up at her, familiar wide brown eyes filled with excitement. "Daddy said if I was real good then he'd take me to Uncle Lavon's tomorrow. Uncle Lavon's got a new pet 'gator to keep Burt Reynolds company!" The little girl's blonde hair danced in the afternoon sun as she skipped happily towards Zoe. "Momma, when's Bump gonna be here. I can't wait to have a little brother or sister!" Zoe looked down at her stomach, rubbing it thoughtfully. _

_Rose's face swam in front of Zoe's. "How could you not tell me you were pregnant. I thought I was your best friend!" She shouted, hurt in her eyes. All of a sudden Rose morphed into Wade, the same hurt look on his face. "Baby we're so good together. You wouldn't have been going through this alone. I wanted it. I wanted us to be a family." Now her mother's voice was ringing in her ears. "You might the right choice sweetheart. He was only a bartender." _

Zoe sat up, gasping for breath as the sweat poured off her. Her nightmares had been so vivid and realistic - Zoe could swear she had really felt the pain. Instinctively her hand moved down to her stomach and she rubbed gently. She bit her lip. Knowing she hadn't planned for this baby was one thing but getting rid of it came with a whole new set of problems. Wasn't Wade always telling her that she should be more spontaneous? The one time in her life that she'd "changed her picture" as he liked to say was the night that she had asked him if he would be her boyfriend and they hadn't looked back since. She had changed her picture that night. She'd realised that if she continued to wait for that perfect man, house, job etc. that she would be waiting the rest of her life because they didn't exist. Her picture was making her lonely and unhappy and she should just open her eyes to the wonderful world she had in front of her. Things may happen unexpectedly but that didn't mean they weren't meant for her. It was just that somebody else clearly had a different plan for her.

Zoe almost scoffed at her own thoughts. Since when had she become so philosophical?

Philosophical Zoe had a point though…maybe this was all meant to be.


	3. Chapter 3: Fight For You

**This is gonna be a long one! ...and most you will hate me by the end of it :P **

**I don't own Hart of Dixie...but I do own an obscene number of odd socks**

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Zoe sat with her legs crossed and her arms folded moodily across her chest as she glared at the toilet. She would win this battle with her stomach; she would not let pregnancy beat her. It was her against the morning sickness. Feeling another wave of nausea Zoe pressed her hand firmly across her mouth and breathed in through her nose. Nope. No. That wasn't working. Launching forwards across the tiles Zoe emptied her stomach into the toilet bowl, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and shuddering.

Baby 1: Zoe 0.

Back in bed and curled up around her pillow – a substitute Wade – she racked her brains to think back to her obstetrics and gynaecology rotation and what she'd learned. Number one: don't get pregnant. Number two: labour is messy and disgusting. Number three: babies and pregnant women cry…a lot. Okay, okay this wasn't helping. Morning sickness usually only lasted until weeks twelve to fourteen. Counting backwards in her head Zoe held up her fingers, judging by the date of her implant's expiration she could be as many as eight weeks pregnant. Eight weeks…so little Zoe would be the size of a raspberry by now. Lifting up her pyjama top Zoe inspected her toned tummy, no signs of life there. At least she wouldn't begin to show for another few weeks but her bra was definitely feeling a bit tight, something she was sure Wade wouldn't complain about.

Still undecided Zoe flipped up her laptop screen and googled Planned Parenthood. She read and reread the facts on abortion, hovering now and again on the 'Parenting' option as she dismissed adoption. Zoe knew firsthand what it was like to not know who your real parent was and how much that had hurt her - she never wanted to put her own child through that pain and misery. So there were only two choices: have an abortion or keep the baby and raise it, with or without Wade's help.

Wade…he was the father.

Zoe had a strange relationship with her 'Dads'. Well she had a relationship with Harley's memory and his gravestone. It was a complicated and confusing relationship to have with a parent that you never knew and never would, but she really was trying to learn from his lessons and he had a funny way of always saying the right thing in a medical file or allowing her to find some undiscovered family memento at precisely the time she needed it most. Even from beyond the grave he was there for her. Her 'Dad' on the other hand was even more confusing. For the past twenty years Zoe had been chasing the relationship they had once had and finally when she had stopped, he had come back around. A handful of phone calls, postcards and letters told her all about his life and how much he wished she was still a part of it. He'd been to visit just before she and Wade had gotten together and had reluctantly from a distance given them his blessing, not that Zoe felt she really needed it. They had had an honest and open discussion about the difficulties in their relationship and she knew she really needed to cut him some slack at times. He was trying.

Her baby – if she chose to keep it – would have both its parents. She would do whatever it took to make sure that they were raised with love and kindness in a happy environment away from the drama of her mother's high society New York City lifestyle. It was not a healthy place to raise a child. Zoe had always been happy as a kid, playing in Sheep Meadow with her various nannies and attending ballet and gymnastics lessons. However as a teenager she had rebelled and New York was so full of temptation it hadn't taken long for her and Gigi to find themselves in over their heads. Boys and parties, drinking and sneaking into clubs had been a part of their fifteen year old lives that Zoe was not in any haste to relive.

Sure she'd had a lot of fun but it had been reckless and at times borderline dangerous. She was happy with her little lot in Bluebell and as much as she loved New York, she knew it was not for her – or her child – any longer.

Remembering that Wade would be home later that morning, Zoe padded across to the bathroom and tucked the positive pregnancy test into a wash bag, burying it at the back of her medicine cabinet before stepping into the steamy shower. As she rinsed her long chocolate brown hair, Zoe ran a hand across her belly. "What am I going to do about you?" She murmured as her mind continued to wander to a life she hadn't anticipated but strangely wasn't nearly as anxious about now.

If the girls from Teen Mom could manage then surely Zoe could. She was twenty eight, in a loving relationship with a man she hoped to marry one day. She was well educated, and earned a tidy sum of money. She could totally handle this…couldn't she?

Okay so she knew that sometimes she could be selfish and self absorbed. Wade had called her bratty on more than one occasion and they knew that she could throw tremendous temper tantrums when they were called for. But…she had a better bedside manner than ever before, she was more caring and friendly and honestly sometimes she even wore gumboots without mentally screaming 'eww'. She wasn't exactly the most maternal person in the world but when it was her kid it would be different. You loved your children unconditionally.

Zoe continued to ponder her life as she walked to the practice, opting for a black tank top, saffron skater skirt and cute little black studded boots. She smiled hello to the ladies gossiping on the bench and stopped in by the Butterstick Bakery to pick up an iced tea as she headed to her office. "Hi Addie." She smiled, her mind still a million miles away as she straightened out her desk and flipped through the patient's charts. "Melinda Naismith." She murmured as she ran her finger over the chart, instantly recognising Harley's neat writing. Melinda was twenty one and had been attending college in Boston for the last three years. Clocking the calendar again Zoe figured she must be home for the holidays otherwise she'd just have seen her GP there. Nothing important jumped out at Zoe in Melinda's medical history so she began to shut the file. 'Terminated pregnancy – April 2007. Parents not informed.' Harley's notes were normally long and full of animated descriptions of the patient and his or her condition. His notes on this period of Melinda's life however were very to the point. She had presented herself to him with a positive pregnancy test and insisted that he terminate the pregnancy or she would do it herself. After providing the necessary waiting period and all of her other options, he'd prescribed her the abortion pill and that was that.

Tapping her pen thoughtfully on the desk, Zoe wondered what her own file must look like. She had reluctantly handed it over to Brick when she'd made him her doctor. As much as she'd wanted to register with an unknown in Mobile, Lavon had insisted that it made more sense to have Brick close by. After all, it took a full thirty minutes for the ambulances to get to Bluebell if she was ever in need of a physician she was better to have grumpy old Brick Breeland taking care of her, despite their obvious differences. She'd never really thought about what was in her past file, although it had followed her from New York and she was sure that her paediatrician and adult physician were sure to have provided detailed notes over the years. She shuddered slightly at the thought of Brick reading all about her history: birth control, sexual escapades and all.

There was a knock at the door and a tall slender blonde poked her head around. "Doctor Hart right?" She smiled at Zoe, shutting the door behind her. "I'm Melinda, Addie said to come right in."

"Yes, yes. Come sit down, I was just reviewing your file." Zoe grinned at the girl, raising her hand to indicate at the seat. "What can I do you for?" She grimaced internally as she heard herself let out that familiar 'Wadeism'. They had been becoming more and more common and she wasn't entirely comfortable with the new Southern Zoe yet.

Melinda shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I was just…I would have gone to see my GP in Boston but I heard that Brick had a new female doctor in town and well I'd do anythin' not to have Doctor Breeland all up in my business. He's tight with my Daddy and I just don't feel right havin' him know all about…well." The younger woman paused, looking up at Zoe. Her approachable demeanour and soft smile seemed to urge her on. "I found out that a guy I slept with has Chlamydia and I just know I should be gettin' checked out for it." She cringed, balling up the material of her skirt and blushing.

Zoe didn't even bat an eyelid. Getting to her feet she came around the table and sat on the edge. "Melinda honey, I can be totally discreet about this. We'll just take a swab and a urine sample and get them sent off to the lab. It's nothing to be embarrassed about, it happens to the best of us." She patted Melinda's shoulder gently to reassure her.

"The best of us…?" Melinda asked slyly.

"Yeah. I was in college too you know." Zoe laughed as she helped Melinda up onto the exam table. "If it comes back positive all it will take is a course of antibiotics and you'll be as good as new. Now you hold tight, I'll go and get the sampling kit and we'll have this over and done with."

As she was labelling the samples and sealing the envelopes, Zoe watched as Melinda hovered. She took her time picking up her bag and searching fruitlessly for her keys or sunglasses or something, clearly stalling for time. "Doctor Hart." Melinda began slowly.

"Call me Zoe." She smiled, coaxing the girl in her own way.

"Zoe…you know having Chlamydia, it won't affect my fertility will it. I mean I don't want kids now. I just, I had an abortion when I was young and with this and all…it got me a bit worried." She chewed her lip nervously.

Zoe rubbed her forehead, searching for the right words. "It can affect your fertility if it's gone undiagnosed for some time but there should be few complications with fertility given the young age of the abortion. I'd book an appointment with your OBGYN just to be sure but I'd say it's unlikely in someone your age."

"Good, good." Melinda smiled. "I just can't wait to become a Mom. I mean the first time, it wasn't right. I was so young but I guess you never get over it. She would be five by now…I always wonder what she'd have been like." She said softly, sadly even.

Zoe patted her on the shoulder, her stomach clenching slightly at the hitch in the girl's voice as she spoke of the child that never was. "If you ever need to talk…" She murmured as Melinda turned to thank her, her hand on the office door. Nodding she slipped from the room, leaving Zoe alone with her thoughts.

She was twenty-eight. Many of her friends from high school and college were already engaged or married, some with children. She wasn't going to be young forever and fertility decreased rapidly post thirty. Maybe she was in her prime.

Resting her head on the cool desk Zoe groaned. If only someone could make this choice for her, it was such a burden to bear all the time, this tiny life playing on her mind, growing inside of her. "Stupid little peanut." She muttered as she heard the door click shut.

"Stupid little what?" Wade laughed at her as he saw the surprise on her face, leaning down to kiss her.

"Nothing. Doesn't matter." Zoe shrugged as she pulled him in close for a real kiss. "I was just…"

What Zoe Hart was just never found its way from her lips though as Wade slipped around the side of her desk and scooped her up in his arms, settling down into her chair with her on his lap. "I missed you." He smiled into her kiss, his forehead resting gently on hers.

"You were gone less than twenty-four hours." Zoe giggled, her fingers splayed across his cheek. "…and I've got patients. I don't want them walking in on us like this."

"I locked the door. And what…are you saying you didn't miss me?"

"Of course I missed you, you idiot." Zoe opened her eyes, frowning. "I did miss you."

"Good." Wade stole another kiss, his hands slipping to her waist.

"Wade we can't, not now." Zoe whispered, pushing his hands away.

He pouted adorably, his hands already pulling her back in to his chest. "That's not what you said last time we were alone here." He smirked as he ran his thumb along the bare strip of skin between her top and skirt.

"Yeah well last time my birth control was still working." Zoe snapped at him, jumping up and walking quickly towards the door. Before she'd even turned to face him, she knew he would be screwing up his face in confusion. "I found out why May 3rd was circled on the calendar." She admitted slowly. "My implant ran out on that day and I forgot to get it replaced."

Wade's eyes bulged slightly. He laughed a little and she saw his hands scratch nervously at his thighs. "Well at least you aren't pregnant right?" He asked, his eyes searching hers. She knew she was a terrible liar, he could always see right through her.

"Umm." She hummed guiltily.

His face drained of colour and he fell backwards into her chair. Zoe felt bile rise in her throat but she knew it wasn't from the morning sickness. His reaction was exactly what she'd thought it would be, what she'd hoped it wouldn't. "When did you find out?" He asked, looking up her.

"Last night." She sighed, twisting her hands nervously as she edged up onto the exam table. She needed a seat too if they were going to have this conversation now. "I haven't…you know decided."

Wade nodded tightly. "But you're leaning towards…?"

"I don't know." She paused, her heart aching to say keep it, her head telling her that Wade's reaction had said it all. There was no smiling, no kisses, no 'I love you'. There was just his tense pale face and his questions about what _she _was going to do about it. Not them…she. "I guess I'll go to the clinic tomorrow and see what's what." She added vaguely, running a hand distractedly through her long wavy hair.

He felt his heart drop a little bit as he watched her nonchalantly talk about the clinic and the obvious termination. Feeling those familiar pangs of guilt at the position he'd put a woman in and the longing for a chance to prove once and for all that he was nothing like his own father, Wade sighed. He'd really believed that Zoe loved him, that they had an honest shot at a future together. But if she could be so blasé about something as important as a baby, maybe they weren't really meant to be. "Whatever you think is best sweetheart." He murmured in what he hoped was a comforting voice. They shared a weak smile and he kissed the top of her head. "I guess I'll see you tonight then."

"I guess." Zoe replied softly, licking her lips nervously as she tried to avoid his gaze. As he left the room she kicked out angrily at a pile of books, sending them toppling to the ground with a crash. "No!" She shouted as she slapped her hand against the desk. She would not shed another tear over this baby, over Wade and his stupid hang-ups about being just like his father. She knew that he would be nervous about the prospect of being a failure just like Earl had been to him. Zoe honestly thought he was getting over that though, the past few months he'd really been making changes in his life and she'd praised him as much as she could without attracting his attention. He was confident about his future, his plans to open his own bar and Zoe really saw the man she always knew was in there. He was as different from Earl as he could possibly be. She just wished he could see that too.

Wade stormed from the practice, huffing as he sat down in the deserted gazebo in town square. It was a swelteringly hot day but his insides still felt cold. How could he possibly tell Zoe that he wanted her to keep this baby, she'd made it perfectly clear what she wanted even if she had been too chicken to say it. They were not going to have this baby. He could just feel it.

He guessed he would go with her to Planned Parenthood, maybe look at a few pamphlets and hold her hand while it happened. Maybe he could change her mind. His thoughts picked up as he remembered some dumb movie she'd made him watch months ago, where the girl got knocked up but ended up keeping her baby and bla bla bla he'd fallen asleep before the end but she'd told him it ended happily ever after. Swinging in past the Dixie Stop Wade picked up a few items, a plan forming in his mind as he walked back up the dirt track towards the plantation.

As Zoe entered the carriage house she smelled the familiar welcoming scent of Wade's cooking. "Mmm smells good." She said as she laid her handbag on the coffee table, watching as he stirred a few things and laid out plates. He smiled at her, and held out a glass filled with pink liquid.

"You know I can't drink Wade." Zoe said softly, her eyes trained on her shoes.

"It's non-alcoholic." Wade cleared his throat as her fingers closed around the glass. "Why don't you go sit out on the porch and I'll bring the plates out, hon." Zoe just nodded and went back the way she'd come, taking her time as she watched him turn his back and slouch his shoulders in disappointment. Confused she wrinkled her brow, normally she could read Wade Kinsella like an open book; happy, sad, horny, mocking, excited. He really didn't have that many emotions but she could identify them all. This one was new…like a mixture of desperation and dejection. But what did it mean?

Pushing her plate away from her Zoe watched Wade looking out over the pond, his mind far far away. "Wade?" She asked slowly, smiling a little as she realised he hadn't even heard her. She stood up, full and content from their dinner as she slid into his lap. "Thank you babe." She murmured as she kissed his cheek and laid her cheek upon his chest, feeling him breathing deeply beneath her.

"Welcome." He replied as he pulled her closer in to him. He couldn't work out how to tell her what his heart desired and his normal way of showing her was clearly out of the question right now, given the argument they'd had in the practice that morning.

"Wade?" She asked again, not moving from her position with her face buried into his shirt so he could only hear her muffled mumbling. "Wade can you come with me tomorrow?"

He knew where she meant and he subconsciously slipped his hand under the thin material of her shirt, his fingers splaying out protectively over her abdomen. "Of course baby." He whispered into her hair, his thumb rubbing a soothing circle onto her skin. "We can work this out." He added, his eyes closing as he breathed in the familiar scent of her apple shampoo.

Several hours later as he dozed on the porch swing, Zoe still tucked carefully in his arms Wade looked down at her. "I'm gonna fight for you." Wade whispered, not really sure who he was talking to…Zoe or the baby. "It's gonna be okay." He picked her up, carrying her slowly towards their bedroom, each step closer to tomorrow, each one further from today. Sliding into bed beside her, Wade felt her wriggle into her familiar position; he slid his arm around her and pressed a kiss to her exposed shoulder. "I love you." He said, although he knew she wouldn't hear him. "I love you."

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**So...many of you probably want to kill me right now. I am toying with you at the moment but I'm a serious Zade shipper so keep your fingers crossed :)**

**Next chapter is already written...when I get 5 new reviews I'll post the next chapter. Ready, set, go! **


	4. Chapter 4: Blueberry Pancakes

**Wowzers...9 reviews in like 12 hours thats pretty good for me :L **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed you basically just made my day :) This is for you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hart of Dixie...but if I did then Burt Reynold's would have eaten George Tucker by now :)**

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The_ gentle hum of the lawn mower whirred in the background as Wade and Jesse lay on their bellies in the tree house Earl had built them, reading comics and drinking some of their mother's freshly squeezed lemonade. "Batman would totally kick Spiderman's butt in a race across the city. I mean duh…he has the Batmobile." Jesse whacked Wade around the side of the head jokingly. Wade just rolled his eyes and took another sip of the cold drink, crunching a cube of ice between his teeth and he thought about Jesse's analysis of the situation. Far below them, Wade watched his Daddy cutting the grass and his mother sitting on the porch swing, her hands flying across the quilt she was making for Mrs Long's new baby boy Tom. The boys continued their comic book argument as they play wrestled up in the tree house, chasing each other down the ladder swing and running rings around Earl as he laughed at them. Eventually Earl caught up with Wade, picking him up fireman style and tossing him over his shoulder. "Daddy put me down!" Seven year old Wade cried out, beating his tiny fists against his father's back. "Daddy!" He giggled as Earl scooped Jesse up under the other arm and raced across the lawn towards their mother. He dumped the two boys down beside her on the swing as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Wade smiled at his happy little family. It was perfect. Everything was perfect._

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_Now the wind was howling around the house, Wade stood barefoot at the top of the stairs, his face pressed between the railings as he listened to his parent's hushed voices below. "They aren't ready for this. Well Wade isn't ready for this. He's only eight years old Earl." He heard his mother say, a sob catching in her throat as she forced the words out. "What's he going to do without his Mommy?" She clutched at Earl's flannel shirt, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "He won't understand that the cancer has spread this time, that there is no miracle cure now." Wade felt his stomach turn cold, his hands slipping slightly on the railings as his knuckles turned white. The creak under Jesse's foot beside him on the landing alerted his parent's to his presence and Jacqueline looked up at Wade, her eyes brimming with tears as she saw his pale pinched little face pleading with her. He stumbled backwards from his hiding place, running into the bedroom and slamming the door as he burrowed under his duvet. This couldn't be happening. If he shut his eyes real tight then it wouldn't be real. He felt his mother slide into beside him, her body cradling his as she shushed him to sleep, her hand clasped around his own. _

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_Fourteen year old Wade sighed as he threw the empty beer bottles into the trash, hauling the clinking garbage can out to the side of the road. It wasn't easy looking after his Dad but someone had to do it. Ever since his Mom had passed there was no consoling Crazy Earl. He drank his days away and rarely was home before sun up. Wade had four part time jobs and was just scraping by at school. He did the paper round, stacked shelves at the Dixie Stop, baby sat for little Rose Hattenbarger and painted as many fences and houses as he possibly could on weekends. The town had opened it's arms to the Kinsella's after Jacqueline's death and Wade's efforts to hold his family together particular after Jesse's departure hadn't gone unnoticed. Doctor Wilkes in particular always made sure that he stopped in by to check on them after the practice closed and when Wade was a little short for groceries, he'd stepped in to cover the cost. As promised, Jesse sent home a cheque from his new job in the army every month and Wade contributed all his wages to keeping up with the bills but he knew they couldn't keep it up forever. As he hammered in the For Sale sign on their cookie cutter house, the house his mother had loved so much, where all his treasured childhood memories lay he couldn't help but shed a tear. They were moving into a tiny cottage on the outskirts of Bluebell. It was okay, Wade was sure he could fix the broken guttering and the leaky roof in time but he doubted it would ever be home. _

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Zoe woke suddenly as she felt Wade tense beside her, tossing and turning, muttering in his sleep. "No Jesse. Mamma!" He murmured, his hands gripping the sheets tightly as he twitched. She watched him in his tormented dreams, wondering if she should wake him. She rested her tiny hand on his cheek and stroked it gently. Pressing a kiss to his forehead she tucked herself into his arms, hoping it would calm him in his sleep. He continued to mumble incoherently but he did seem comforted by her touch, his arms tightening around her automatically.

She let her eyes close once more as his breathing evened out and he hooked his chin over her shoulder. Something was bothering Wade, Zoe's psych rotation had taught her that for sure. She'd never really pressed for details about his childhood, knowing that after his mother's death Earl had pretty much lost the plot and Wade had been forced to grow up faster than a child should have to. It made her feel a little sick thinking about the pain that he'd endured, the brave face he still put on when he talked about his family. She'd do anything to erase that hurt and make it better.

When she woke with the light streaming in through the gap in the curtains, the other side of the bed was cold and empty. No sign of Wade. Zoe pulled herself upright by her elbow and tucked her knees up under her chin as she recalled Wade's weird behaviour the night before and his tormented sleep. She'd be lying if she said it didn't worry her. As she slipped her legs out from under the sheets, Zoe shivered slightly. She always had Wade in bed to keep her warm, since they'd been dating she didn't think she'd even worn a pair of pyjama bottoms, always opting for shorts or in some cases nothing at all. Scampering across the room to her closet, Zoe drew out a pair of chequered flannel pyjama bottoms and pulled them on, walking barefoot from her bedroom and out into the hallway. "Wade?" She called as she padded along towards the makeshift kitchen. She really ought to get round to fixing the rest of this place up. Entering the kitchen – if you could call it that – Zoe smiled as she saw Wade with his back to her, flipping pancakes on the stove as he raised a hand in greeting. "Are those blueberry?" She asked, knowing the answer before he even turned. He knew she liked no other kind.

"So you got an appointment for today or what?" He asked gruffly a few minutes later, through mouthful of pancake.

Zoe swallowed and watched him carefully as she replied. "Yeah…yeah I called ahead and we got a cancellation at 12. Think you can pick me up from the practice at 11?"

Wade exhaled, avoiding Zoe's steady gaze as he tried to string the words together. "Uh huh. I can pick you up." He said finally, all of the other sentiments that had been fighting for inclusion gone as he lost his nerve.

"Ohhhhkay." Zoe drew out the word as she watched him fidget uncomfortably. Normally it was she who struggled with eye contact and wilted under his stare. "Is there something bothering you?" She asked, reaching out for his hand across the scrubbed wooden table.

Besides the obvious? Wade thought in his head before shaking it. "No." He added as she raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Unless…unless you don't really want to go to this appointment? I mean we have other options, right?" He finally just spat the words out, figuring it was like ripping off a band aid. The quicker the better.

Zoe's pulse quickened and she licked her lips nervously. "Umm this appointment is about our options Wade. We need to know what options are available to us." She pulled her hand back across the table, dropping his to the table with a thunk.

Wade let out a low growl as he rose from the table, gathering his plate. "And we need some dumb counsellor to tell us that we can either keep it or get rid of it right? Zoe we're not teenagers. We can make these decisions by ourselves. At least we could make them if you ever told me how you really feel!" He grew angrier and angrier as he watched her little face crumple.

"You have no idea how hard this is for me!" Zoe screamed back at him, banging her fist on the table. "I have no idea what to do about…about all of this. It's too soon; I'm not ready to be a Mom!"

Wade's eyes bulged slightly, rage coursing through him. "Zoe nobody is ever ready. And you think this is such a walk in the park for me? To see you going through all this and feeling like you can't talk to me. You're my best friend Zoe and I thought if there was one person that you could ever open up to then it would be me but apparently not. You just keep those little thoughts all to yourself and you don't realise that there's a part of me in there too. A part of me that you could so easily go and get rid of if you so choose. How do you think that makes me feel huh? You make me so angry, I don't even wanna look at you!" He stepped closer to her, his hands grasping firmly on her wrists.

The tears were running thickly down her face now as she looked up at him. "Wade you're scaring me." She whispered, shutting her eyes tightly as he continued to squeeze her wrists.

All of a sudden he was gone and she was left alone in the kitchen, his footsteps fading and the sound of his car engine starting up outside. Zoe leaned heavily against the doorframe, resting her head on the wood as she sniffled. So that was how he really felt then…

Borrowing Lavon's Navigator, Zoe drove to Mobile herself, sat in the waiting room by herself and walked into the appointment by herself. She was going to have to get used to this she supposed. She'd never seen Wade so mad. Maybe this was it for them? Trying not to think about the way that Wade had stormed off that morning, Zoe focussed on the questions she was being asked. Her eyes were glassy and her voice monotone as she provided all of her information and listened to the counsellor talk through her options, not really even listening. Glancing down at her hands Zoe saw a tiny bruise, the size of Wade's thumb print on the inside of her wrist and she let out a single tear. "Miss Hart?" The counsellor rested a hand on her knee soothingly. "I know this must be a difficult and confusing time for you but do you have any other questions?"

"Yes." Zoe whispered. "When can I get the termination?"

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**So again...you will all want to behead me :P I enjoy writing fluff almost as much as I enjoy writing angsty horribleness...incase you couldn't tell. This story will be largely fluff with some angst thrown in for good measure. Just wait for my next chapter ;)**

**I'm in the middle of writing it...hopefully I'll get it up by Monday evening! **

**Please review :) I love hearing what you guys think!**


	5. Chapter 5: Miss Hart

**Thank you to all my reviewers, seriously without you I'd probably have lost interest! Hearing how much you're looking forward to the next chapter is keeping me going! Although trust me, between this and my Uni work I know what I'd rather be doing!**

**I don't own Hart of Dixie...but I do own a gigantic Biomechanics textbook that I could use as a door stop...**

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It had been two days since their fight and Zoe lay in bed…alone. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of Wade and it was beginning to unnerve her. Lavon remained tight lipped on the subject and she was sure that Wade had told him where he was taking off to but she didn't push him. The last thing she needed was to have both Wade and Lavon mad at her. She could use a girlfriend right now. It was a shame that Rose was still a teen, not to mention her anti abortion views which would more than likely be enough to have Rose in a mood with her as well. Living in Bluebell had its perks sometimes; people looked out for each other and helped each other through the tough times. That was what being part of a small community was all about, Lavon had told her. Unfortunately when you were dating a beloved town heartthrob, you didn't get all that much sympathy. In fact if she broke Wade Kinsella's heart, Zoe was more than sure that she'd be run out of the town within a week. Dialling the only person she still had left in her life Zoe waited for her to pick up. "Mom?" She asked; her voice catching as she heard her mother's familiar tone.

"Zo?" She cooed, settling backwards into her sofa and shooing the maid away with one hand. "What's wrong baby?"

Sometimes Zoe hated the sugar coating her mother tried to put on their relationship, masking the years of lying and the tension that still existed between them over Harley. But it was days like today that made Zoe glad that her mother could still…well just be her Mom, the woman that she'd cuddled up to after nightmares, told about her first crush and confided in about losing her virginity. They'd always had an open relationship but Zoe didn't know if even her Mom could be objective about the latest twist in Zoe's life. "Mommy…I'm pregnant." Zoe whimpered down the phone, cradling it to her cheek as she wept.

"Oh Zoe." Her mother sighed as she struggled to find the right words. "I'm sorry baby. What can I do to make it better?"

"Nothing." Zoe hiccupped unhappily. "I really screwed up Mom. Wade's mad at me cause I couldn't tell him how I felt and…and I made the appointment for tomorrow but…but I'm so scared and I have nobody to go with me. You're too far away and I can't…I can't do it Mommy."

Her mother paced around their New York apartment, staring out at the skyline and biting her lip. "Zoe…I know you don't think you have a choice in this but sweetie have you even considered keeping the baby?"

"Of course I have." Zoe exploded. "What you think that I'm so cold inside that I wouldn't think about raising her…loving her?"

Candice ran a hand tiredly over her face. "Calm down Zoe. I'm just saying that sometimes you feel backed into a corner by the hand that life dealt you but if you didn't have the option not to go through with it, well maybe your life would turn out differently from what you planned and maybe that's not such a bad thing." She sighed. "I mean look at us."

"Us?" Zoe murmured, confused. "You mean you weren't going to keep me?"

"Zoe you have to understand. I was engaged to your father and I loved him dearly. We had been trying for a baby for so long and then you just happened. I couldn't tell your father, I couldn't even tell Harley. I fought long and hard with my decision and I decided to keep you. And you honey were and still are the best thing to ever happen to me. Just keep that in mind before you make your choice baby girl."

For a long time after she'd hung up the phone, Zoe sat frozen to the couch, her legs folded up pretzel style underneath her. If her mother had gone through with choice she was about to, then Zoe wouldn't be sitting here. She couldn't deny that her mother's actions had seemed foolish, keeping a baby with a man you barely knew, lying to your husband and child for all those years. But Zoe had always known her mother had loved her, she'd never doubted that no matter how much hurt she'd caused her. If her mother could love her that much after initially having doubts about keeping her…then did Zoe owe it to herself to reconsider her options?

Wade sat by the lake, his line out in the water as he sipped a cool beer. Looking up at the stars he sighed, he knew he ought to talk to Zoe, at least tell her he was alright to stop her from worrying. Looking down at his cell phone he felt his heart sink, not that she'd even tried to call him. Part of him couldn't really blame her. He'd never lost his rag that bad before, he couldn't believe he'd laid his hands on her no matter how small taking hold of her wrists might have seemed. He knew it had frightened her. Picking up the phone in his hand Wade swallowed his pride and dialled her number. It rang through to voicemail and Wade half wondered if she was sitting listening to his message, too angry to pick up the phone. "Hi Zoe, it's me. I just wanted to let you know that I took off for a few days. I wanted to give you some space to make this decision however you want to. It's your body and…and hell I don't want to fight no more. Call me back." He pressed 'End Call' and sighed. It wasn't his most eloquent of speeches, his most loving of messages but it would do for now.

Zoe stood outside the office, shifting nervously from one foot to the other as she eyed the swing door. She had less than five minutes until her appointment and she'd been standing outside for the last five, watching, waiting. Part of her had hoped that Wade would turn up. She'd got his voicemail message but she couldn't bring herself to listen to it. She didn't want to know how the relationship was going to end. Right now all she could focus on was the baby. Placing one foot on the bottom step Zoe swallowed the lump in her throat. She was just going to have to man up and do it. Forcing herself through the front door Zoe sighed.

This was it.

She signed the in patient form, allowed herself to be led from room to room as she had blood tests and her blood pressure, countless legal forms to sign off on until she was completely numbed to her surroundings. A nurse gently pushed her down a corridor, into a small room with a gown on it indicating for Zoe to get changed. She started to tug off her clothes, shyly turning away from the nurse and she slipped into the thin smock. "Are you ready?" The young woman asked kindly as Zoe's face paled.

"Will I ever be?" She choked back a sob as she allowed herself to be helped up onto the table. The nurse patted her hand soothingly and Zoe closed her eyes. The doctor began to talk her through what would happen as she took the pill, the possible side effects and when to push the panic button. Zoe nodded, her eyes still shut as she heard a familiar voice call her name.

Her eyes snapping wide open she listened again as Wade's voice shouted from the corridor. "Zoe? Zoe?" She heard something crash and then he hurtled through the door, red in the face with the receptionist and a security guard right on his heels. "Zoe please let me in, I need to be here." He begged with her, his face contorting as the security guard seized his hands behind his back.

"Let him in." Zoe whimpered as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "Just let him go!" She shouted at the security guard, curling her fingers up in front of her face as she watched Wade suffer. He stumbled forwards out of the man's grip and closed his arms tightly around Zoe, pulling her tightly against him as he whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry."

She didn't reply, her tears still trickling down her face as she tried to reign in her sobs. "I can't do this." She cried; her hands fisted around his shirt as she pressed her face tightly against his chest.

"I know." He sighed as he rubbed her back, swallowing his pride and his feelings. "I know if you made the choice then it must be right for you and the baby. You wouldn't do anything without thinking it through. I trust you." He brushed his lips against her cheek, catching a few tears.

She pulled away from him, frowning. "I…I meant I can't go through with the termination." She said, her voice catching on a half sob, half chuckle as she looked up at his face in disbelief. "I meant that I want to have this baby with you…but if you don't then…then…"

"Of course I do you idiot!" Wade exploded, holding her face between his two hands. "I just said that to show you that I would stay with you no matter what. I love you with or without our baby. But that doesn't mean I don't want it. It means I want you more than anything." She closed the small gap between them, brushing her lips against his gently at first and then with every passing second with more passion.

A small cough from behind them broke them apart eventually. The doctor smiled kindly at Zoe. "So I gather you had a change of heart, Miss Hart?" Zoe nodded, her arm wrapped tightly around Wade's back. "You'll need to sign another document at reception and please don't hesitate to make an appointment with one of our counsellors should you need any more advice." He finished, gesturing towards Zoe's clothes in the corner. "I'll give you a moment."

As Wade moved towards the chair, picking up her dress and boots Zoe smiled. He helped her to untie the flimsy medical smock before sliding back into her underwear and clothes. She wasn't normally shy around him but her body was changing and she turned her back on him as she changed, blushing slightly. "You look beautiful." Wade murmured as he took her hand in his, linking their fingers together. "…and I really am sorry. For how I acted; for scarin' you. I promise I'll never lose my rag like that again."

Zoe placed her index finger upon his lips, shushing him as she turned towards the reception, scrawling her name across a few documents before she let Wade escort her back down the steps and into his car. "Let's just forget it ever happened, 'kay?" She rested her hand on his knee as she usually did while he drove back on the narrow winding roads to Bluebell.

"Deal." Wade smiled as he felt her squeeze gently.

That night as Wade lay in their bed, listening to Zoe potter about in the bathroom as she took off her makeup and brushed her teeth, he placed his arms behind his head and sighed contentedly. "We're having a baby." He murmured quietly, just testing out the words to see how they fit. They fit good, he thought to himself with a small smile. Zoe who was standing watching him covertly from the bathroom door grinned just a little bit. She almost couldn't believe the sudden turn in events herself. Here they were, only six months into their relationship and she was already pregnant with a baby that Wade actually wanted and had asked for. He may have problems with expressing his emotions but the one time when she'd needed to hear them most he had finally come through for her, expressing them in a way that made it impossible for her not to give in. Her reasons for initially choosing to have the abortion had all been blown out of the water by Wade's admission of love and support. She knew that with his help, they could conquer parenthood and stumble through it together. He was still lying in bed grinning to himself as she padded back into the bedroom, her silky nightgown stretching a little tightly over her chest as she crossed her arms over her stomach.

"Come here." Wade said softly as he took hold of one of her hands, pulling her towards the bed. "You look beautiful."

"Yeah we'll see if you still say that in another seven months when I'm so fat that I can't even tie my own shoelaces and my belly is swollen to the size of a house." She huffed, her bottom lip threatening to pout as Wade captured her lips in his.

"I don't care how big you get. You'll always be beautiful to me." He pulled her down on top of him on the bed, kissing her feverishly.

As they lay together, curled around one another, legs intertwined Zoe sighed. "What's wrong?" Wade asked her, his eyes opening slowly.

"Nothing." Zoe lied, pressing her face into the side of his neck. Wade just nodded, pulling her closer as he waited for her to finally admit what was on her mind. "Just…just promise me that you'll never let him or her know that for one stupid moment I didn't want them." She choked back tears as she heard Wade shush her gently.

"They'll always know they're loved. It doesn't matter what we went through to get to this decision. We want this baby now and he or she will always know how much you love them. You're going to be a great Mommy, Zoe. Trust me." He murmured into her hair, feeling her relax against him and smile into his neck.

"I want it to be a girl." Zoe whispered as they lay together.

"Me too." Wade grinned as he placed his hand over her abdomen. "Me too Miss Hart."


	6. Chapter 6: Hormones

**Wow there are so many ace reviewers for this story. I love hearing all your thoughts on it :) and thanks for bearing with me while I did the whole "will she/won't she" trauma thing :P I've got a couple of plans for this story now...**

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The balmy summer's day was just beginning as Wade rolled over in bed, screwing up his eyes against the bright sunlight streaming in through the open curtains. He reached a hand out for his girlfriend but found her side of the bed to be empty. "Zoe?" He grumbled, opening one eye blearily as he groped around for her unsuccessfully.

"I'm right here Dumb Dumb." She laughed from the other side of the room, turning from her closet as she watched him sit up and frown, gesturing to her empty side of the bed.

"You know I don't like it when you're not here." He griped, patting the bed invitingly.

Zoe rolled her eyes as she turned back towards her closet. Standing in just her underwear she sighed. With every day that passed it was getting harder and harder to find something that fitted in her wardrobe of tight designer clothes that were perfectly tailored to her toned and slender frame. Not anymore. "Urgh!" She stamped her feet in anger, growling as she heard Wade laugh at her temper tantrum from under the duvet. "Nothing fits me. Why am I so fat?" Zoe cried, sticking her bottom lip out and putting yet another dress back onto its hanger in defeat.

She heard footsteps behind her and smiled as Wade pressed himself up against her back, his hands sliding lovingly around her waist and cradling her tiny baby bump that was just beginning to protrude. "You're not fat, you're beautiful babe. I know it's tough when you're used to looking so damn fine all the time but I still think you're sexy. I mean I'm just sayin', I'd still do you." He laughed as she relaxed against him, laughing and slapping him playfully.

"Oh gee, that's all I wanted to hear. That I'm still do-able." Rolling her eyes again Zoe shoved her hand into the back of her closet and unearthed a billowy printed blouse and a pair of shorts that would hopefully lie just under her bump. She slipped into them slowly pulling them up her thighs and grinning as they scooped just under her tummy. She turned in to face Wade, still smiling as he ran his hands up the back of her legs.

He tugged on the belt loops of her shorts. "Oh how I've missed you." He said sincerely, a twinkle in his eye as he ran his hands down her shorts. "You know it was these shorty-shorts that got my interested in the first place."

Zoe raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Oh really. I had no idea." She reached up on tiptoe to kiss him. "Did you never wonder why I only wore them on days when I'd see you?"

"You are just too much of a tease Miss Hart." He kissed her back, his hands slipping down to her hips, gripping her tightly to him.

* * *

Brick was stomping around in a temper when Zoe breezed in through the door looking positively radiant. Cody was lying snoring on the couch in the waiting room, his hand bandaged but still bleeding profusely. Addie had been called away to her son's school to pick him up after a bad nosebleed. Shula Whitaker had been bending his ear about her cats again and those damn imaginary chest pains of hers. Seriously, he couldn't take much more of it. "Nice of you to show up Dr Hart." He spat bitterly as he slammed the appointment book down onto the desk.

Zoe blew upwards through her bangs, trying to let her frustration go before she replied. "If you'd actually bothered to look in the appointments book rather than using it as a weapon, you'll find that I am right on time given that I worked those extra two hours last weekend when you went hunting with Walt. You told me to take the time off and I specifically remember you having Addie write it down in the book so you wouldn't forget it." She explained calmly, pointing her perfectly manicured nail towards Addie's neat little scrawl in the top corner of the page. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have patients to tend to, Cody let's get that hand seen to."

Brick frowned as he replayed what had just happened in his head. Was Zoe Hart actually being reasonable for a change? There was definitely something up with that girl…first the calmness, then the pleasant tone and greetings, she was smiling more and had been trying to butter him up for the last few weeks. She was clearly waiting to approach him with something, a favour no doubt. She probably wanted a week off to get away with Wade. Now normally he would have jumped at the chance to get the yappy little Yankee Doctor out of his hair but he had to admit it was tough to manage the whole town without her around. He'd left Cody waiting to get sutures from her because he knew hers would be preferable and he really wasn't up to it any more. Retiring was never far from his mind but he had a few years left before he had to make a choice on it. After all, Harley had managed to leave his share of the practice in good hands, even with his untimely death.

Zoe looped the last stitch around her needle and began to apply the dressing as she let her mind wander. She loved working in Bluebell. Sure it sometimes got a little stale, treating the same flu, rash or cough ten times in the same day but she enjoyed her patients and their stories, the admiration from the townspeople and being a part of their weird small town community. She would miss it while she was away on maternity leave, that was if Brick actually let her take any. She'd been softening around him, trying to sweeten him up for when the time came to tell him. Her twelve week scan was booked in the for the following afternoon and while she couldn't wait to hear her baby's heart beat and see their little features forming she was a little scared about coming clean to Brick about her situation.

Her OBGYN in Mobile had been so understanding about her situation but had advised her that as she lived in Bluebell, there was a good chance that if it was a short labour that she wouldn't even make it to the hospital. That meant seeing her regular physician for routine check-ups and making him aware of any updates with the baby. That meant seeing Brick…

Wade had sat and squeezed her hand throughout the whole of that conversation, trying and failing to reassure her. "Brick is a real good doctor Zoe. I mean he delivered half this town. I know he's an ass and he can make your life hell sometimes but he has to be professional about this, you will be his patient after all." Zoe had just pulled a face. Yuck. She couldn't imagine letting Brick feel her belly, taking his health advice and eww even worse letting him see downstairs. "You're imagining him delivering our baby aren't you?" Wade had laughed softly in her ear as he saw her face twist in disgust.

"Yep." Zoe had replied, trying to permanently erase the picture. "We'd have to move to another town if that happened." She smirked up at him, seeing him raise an eyebrow. "Do you honestly want Brick to see what you see?"

"Honey, Brick will _never _get to see what I see." Wade ran his thumb along the skin exposed between her shirt and the waist of her jeans, making her shiver. She didn't reply, only pressing a soft kiss to his lips, a promise of more.

As she sat in her office chair she flipped mindlessly through the charts on her desk. Curving her hand around her tiny baby bump Zoe smiled. She picked up the phone and dialled his number without even thinking about it. He answered on the third ring. "Hey babe." She melted, tucking the phone beneath her shoulder as she allowed her other hand to rest on her abdomen, smoothing out the fabric of her top as she marvelled at the size of her swollen belly.

"Hey yourself…"

"What you thinking?" He asked her intuitively.

"Just about tomorrow." She replied, smiling as she realised he'd known exactly what was on her mind all along. "You got the afternoon of work right?"

Wade nodded at Wanda over the bar. "Yeah Wanda's covering my shift. You know I wouldn't miss it for the world baby girl."

* * *

The jelly was cool on her stomach and she squirmed away from the wand as it was manoeuvred across her skin uncomfortably. Her top was flipped up across her chest to expose the bare skin of her belly and Wade marvelled as he saw the taught skin across her little bump, their baby the size of an apple according to Zoe. The doctor continued to poke and prod at Zoe as Wade watched in silence, not really enjoying watching the stranger manhandling his woman and his baby but biting his tongue. "You okay baby?" He asked Zoe quietly as his lips brushed her ear. She nodded and gently turned his face with her hand so he was watching the monitor with her.

"There it is." She grinned, a single tear sliding down her freckled cheek. "There's our baby."

Wade felt a lump in his throat as he watched the tiny little person moving around in hazy waves. "Perfectly healthy, ten fingers and ten toes, good vital organs and a healthy size and weight. Miss Hart you are exactly twelve weeks pregnant. So due on 7th February 2014." The doctor announced, oblivious to Wade's tearful predicament.

He coughed, trying to clear his throat. Zoe smiling as she watched him struggle with his emotions. She reached out her hand, sliding it into his and squeezing gently. "You're gonna be a Daddy." She murmured happily as she took the sonogram pictures from the doctor's outstretched hand. He couldn't handle it any longer and Wade sniffed loudly, brushing a few tears from his eyes as he turned to kiss her.

"You make me so happy." He bit his lip, still reigning back the tears. He hadn't cried since he was ten years old at his mother's funeral. The very day he had sworn he would never love anybody ever again because all they did was disappoint him or leave him or die and he couldn't stand the heartbreak again. "I know I don't tell you enough but I love you Zoe Hart and I always will." He kissed her forehead sweetly and pulled back as the doctor wiped the sticky gel off her stomach. "So…you want me to come with you to tell Brick?"

"Would you?" She asked, her eyes widening at his offer. He nodded and she smiled gratefully. "That would be the best. I really don't know how he's gonna take the news."

"Well after we tell Brick you get to tell everyone else. I mean Rose, Lavon, AnnaBeth, Shelley. You gotta be looking forward to that right hun?" Wade rubbed her back soothingly as he could see her shoulders tensing up at the thought of telling Brick.

Zoe nodded as she let Wade guide her from the maternity unit at the hospital, down the stairs and out into the car park. "Yeah. I can't wait to tell Rose and Addie. What about your Dad, I mean he's gonna be a Granddaddy. Do you want to tell him by yourself?" Zoe asked, nervously chewing on her nail as she knew that Earl could be a touchy subject.

Wade looked at the floor. "I haven't decided yet Zo…can I just have some time to think about this."

"Of course Wade. Whatever you want." She replied, figuring her patience with his father was the least she could offer him. "Can we stop by the practice before we go home. I really want to get this all out of the way so we can enjoy the rest of our day."

* * *

Brick's face went pale, then purple, then pale, then pink. "You're what?" He gasped as he sat back down in his chair, looking between Zoe and Wade. He saw flashes of what the next few years would be like, overrun with patients, never a minute off, Zoe juggling a newborn on her hip while trying to tend to patients, screaming, crying. He narrowed his eyes. "How much maternity leave?" He asked shrewdly.

Zoe swallowed. "I want to work." She looked sideways at Wade. They hadn't actually discussed this yet. "I want to work almost up until I give birth. Obviously I'll need some time off but between our working hours we should be able to swing most of the childcare. I'd like between 8 and 12 weeks of leave and then I want to work part time. Two half days and two full days a week." She stated clearly. "I'll agree to be on call three nights a week as well." She conceded as she saw Brick's sour face beginning to soften.

He nodded slowly. "Well I think we can swing that." His eyes travelled over the nervous pair in front of him. "And I suppose that congratulations are in order, Wade my boy, are you finally going to make an honest woman out of our Yankee Doctor?"

Wade let out a short laugh, more of a wheeze as Brick clapped him merrily on the shoulder. "Well uh…we're just gettin' our heads around a baby. We haven't really thought about marriage yet, right baby?" He choked out, shaking Brick's outstretched hand.

Zoe smirked at Wade's obvious discomfort at discussing marriage. "Yeah I thought I'd let him off the hook seeing as the pregnancy wasn't exactly his fault." She explained the predicament with her implant and saw Brick roll his eyes. "Still…we couldn't be happier with the way things have turned out." She added, more for Wade's benefit than Brick's. "Thanks though Brick…it means a lot to have your support."

Brick jerked his head at Wade, signalling a moment alone with Zoe as he waited for the door to close. "Now Zoe I know you might be uncomfortable with me as your Doctor and all but I just wanted to say that your father would have been proud of you. I knew him as well as anyone, better actually and he always liked Wade, treated him like a son when he was growin' up without his Momma. You couldn't find a more honest man and your father respected that. The people of this town seem to like you now and you're doing Harley's memory proud. Don't you forget that." He said sincerely as he rested a hand on Zoe's arm.

"Thanks Brick." Zoe caught her breath on a sob, tears trickling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry…" She stuttered. "Hormones."

Brick laughed and pulled her into a kind hug. "You can't go using that excuse all the time Doctor Hart, but okay."


	7. Chapter 7: Town Gossip

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hart of Dixie...if I did we would never have to wait 2 weeks for a new episode : **

**Sorry this chapter is pretty short...I was kind of filling in time :P **

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"_Zoe's pregnant." "Did you hear the Doc's pregnant?" "It's Wade's." "Conceived not six months into their relationship." "I heard it was George Tucker's." "Lavon's going to be Godfather." "Will it be a Hart or a Kinsella…or a Wilkes?" "Thought Wade would run a mile for sure." "I heard that they're buyin' the old Hooper house." "Gettin' married soon I heard." "Brick threw a hissy." _

The whole town buzzed with the news of Zoe and Wade's baby for days, weeks even. In the first 24 hours when only Addie, Rose, AnnaBeth, Shelley and Lavon knew it had been close, an intimate secret that was talked about in excited whispers. Then Brick had unexpectedly let the cat out of the bag, accidentally letting slip to Lemon and Magnolia who were of course Bluebell's biggest blabbermouths and from then on the rumours flew. She'd heard some stupid ones; that they were getting married, that they were buying the Hooper house, that she was going home to New York as soon as it was born. The dumbest ones though also hurt the most; that it was George's baby or that it was to get revenge against Lemon who was getting closer and closer to her thirtieth birthday and was still without a child. They really hurt. If it had just been her feelings then Zoe would have laughed it off but she knew that the whole 'situation' with George still riled up Wade and she'd give anything to make him forget about that part of their lives.

Rose's reaction to her big news had made all the gossip worth it though, the teenager had literally jumped up and down with excitement. "Zoe! Oh my god. Oh my god! Is it a boy or a girl? It's Wade's right? I'm like practically gonna be an aunt!" She squealed as she pulled Zoe in for a tight hug, practically crushing her ribs before pulling back concerned about hurting the baby which had made Zoe laugh even more.

"Rose it's well protected in there. A little bit of squishing isn't exactly gonna make them come out with an oddly shaped head!" She'd laughed as she flopped backwards onto her bed, her hand coming up to her belly automatically.

"You are just too freakin' cute." Rose had proclaimed as she watched Zoe rub her bump absent mindedly. "On the other hand are you not worried about what he/she is gonna' be like? I mean Wade's not just famous for his way with women. He was the heaviest baby Bluebell's ever seen. Twelve pounds or somethin'. His poor Mamma couldn't walk for a week!" Rose exclaimed, remembering her mother and Aunt Emmeline talking about poor Jacqueline Kinsella when Maria Rosen delivered her ten pound baby boy the summer before.

Zoe's eyes started to bug out of her head. "Nobody told me about that." She folded her legs up tightly beneath her and winced at the thought.

"Would it have changed your mind?" Rose laughed, flopping down beside Zoe on the comforter.

"Maybe." Zoe joked, raising an eyebrow. "Twelve pounds…that's like trying to push a watermelon down a straw!"

Wade sauntered into the room at that precise moment. "Please tell me we aren't talking about what I think we're talking 'bout!" He held his hands up to his ears. "Rose Hattenbarger you did not just tell Zoe about my number one achievement in life did you?"

"Well you should have told me first that I'm going to be raising Chunk Children with you, you fatty." Zoe grumped as she threw a cushion at his head. "How do you think this makes me feel about giving birth now? I thought it was gonna be bad before but to top it all off, not only does Brick get to see 'down there' but now I'm going to be delivering a kid the size of Burt Reynolds!"

"Don't you go comparin' my kid to a 'gator!" Wade growled protectively as he lunged at Zoe, tickling behind her knees as she wriggled and squealed.

Wade pressed a kiss to Zoe's lips, his weight balanced on his forearms as he pinned her gently to the bed. She responded eagerly, feeling the heat of him through their clothes. Her back arched involuntarily and her hips ground against his. "Uhhh I'm leaving guys." Rose laughed, wrinkling her nose at the two of them, who were clearly lost in the moment.

"Quickly please." Wade smirked as he ran a hand up Zoe's thigh. "I don't think I can wait much longer."

Zoe slapped his hand away, sitting up as she caught Rose's eye. "Call you in the morning?" Rose nodded, her smile a little wistful as she watched Wade caress Zoe's arm impatiently. As Zoe heard the door click shut she let Wade roll her over, settling his weight in between her knees as she reached up for his face. "Oh baby." She murmured as he pulled her top up over her head, pressing his lips to her chest.

"We haven't done this in forever." Wade groaned into her neck as he tried to push his pants down with one hand, laughing slightly as she fought impatiently with his belt buckle. She didn't reply, only moaning in response as freed himself from his pants and she could feel him pressed tight against her. "I want you so bad." He whispered in her ear as he instinctively reached for the box of condoms in her top dresser drawer.

"Uh Wade…not much point." Zoe chuckled as she clasped her fingers around his wrist. He looked puzzled for a split second and then realised where his hand had travelled to. "Habit I guess." Zoe grinned as she flipped them over so she was lying on top, not bothering to hold up her weight as she let herself fall against him.

"You sure you're okay about this…the midwife didn't say we couldn't you know…" Wade asked concerned as he lay back, watching as Zoe unhooked her bra and flung it off the side of the bed.

"Sex won't hurt or harm the baby Wade. If you refuse though then I might have to harm you." She laughed as she let him pull her back down to meet his lips.

"What is it about pregnant women that makes them so horny?" Wade pondered out loud before he placed a hand over Zoe's mouth. "Second thoughts…I don't care. I'm just gonna enjoy this while it lasts." He kissed her passionately, smirking as he felt her hands creeping up into his hair and scraping at his scalp. She only did that when he was driving her wild with pleasure.

In the afterglow Wade cuddled Zoe into him, even though it was too hot for spooning. Their skin was clammy and stuck together even with only the thin sheet covering them. The humid air circulating through the carriage house making them both incredibly drowsy. "Wade?" Zoe asked softly, hearing him hum in response as his fingers continued to brush tantalising circles onto her abdomen. "Wade have you thought about names yet?"

He ran a hand across his sweaty forehead and smiled. "A little." He murmured as he reached off the bed for his jacket. "Now that we're talkin' 'bout it though. I got you this." He presented her with a tiny book wrapped in a little red bow.

"Book of 1000 baby names." Zoe read as she untied it. "Wade this is perfect." She kissed him quickly as she settled back into his chest, propped up against the pillow to begin perusing the names. "For a girl I like Billie, Ruby, Hallie or Ava." She said a while later as she shut the book, placing it on the nightstand as she turned to face Wade who was looking so chilled out he might well have been in a trance. "Or maybe Willow." Zoe added as she nudged Wade back to reality.

"I was listening hun, just thinkin'." Wade replied as he pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder.

"Or for a boy then Caleb, Cooper or Logan." Wade nodded, still quiet as she lay against him, feeling his breath gently rise and fall under her. "Don't you like them?" She asked, a little hurt as he still didn't respond.

"No, no I love them Zo. I just…I don't want to upset you but I'd been thinking about Harley for a girl. I mean it's different on a girl and a sweet throwback to your father. Say no if you want, I just I wanted to put that out there." Zoe pulled away from him and he was sure for a moment that he was going to be in big trouble. Hell, Zoe had been easy to piss off even before she had all those crazy pregnancy hormones rushing around her body!

She turned to face him, pulling the sheet tighter around her body as he watched a single tear drip down her cheek. "Wade it's beautiful." She whispered as she kissed the tip of his nose. "Harley Willow Kinsella." She murmured, testing it out. "I love it."

"Kinsella?" Wade asked her softly. "Are you sure?"

She nodded as she settled back against him. "I'm sure. I want us all to have the same name…in the end." She added, wondering as those last words escaped her lips if she'd made a giant mistake and was going to send Wade running for the hills again.

"Me too babe." He grinned into her neck. "One day."

Zoe chewed her lip as she pondered boys names again. "Caleb Kinsella sounds a bit weird though." She said a few minutes later. "How about Jack…Jack Earl Kinsella?" The way Wade's arms caressed her waist told Zoe all she needed to know. "I know it would be nice to have your Mom's name in there." She said softly as his breath tickled her skin.

"She'd have loved you." She heard him say distantly. "Just like I do."


	8. Chapter 8: I Can Do This

**Sorry it's been so long since my last update! I've found this chapter really difficult for some reason, maybe because I've been so distracted by all the great post Zade break up oneshots everyones been posting! **

**Anyway I've got a general idea where this story is going now so hopefully there will be another update by next week :)**

**Please read and review!**

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Zoe stood at the airport tapping her foot nervously on the linoleum floor as she waited, her hands resting casually under her protruding bump. At twenty weeks she was definitely showing and had had more than enough of townspeople wanting to rub her belly and guess the sex of the baby. At least they would finally find out later this week at the second trimester scan. After picking names things had just gotten so real and besides the obligatory freak outs – from both her and Wade, they were stronger than ever. Zoe felt his hand snake around her waist, his fingers linking with his under the bump. "You think we oughta tell your Momma about the names?" He murmured against her earlobe as he kissed her neck softly. Zoe shook her head ever so slightly. "You feel bad that she's got the only name we haven't considered?" Again Zoe didn't speak, she merely nodded. "Nervous?"

"Yeah." Zoe breathed. "I was thinking that if we name him Jack then maybe not include Earl. I know your Dad would love it but…well we can save Earl for the next one." She spoke slowly, testing the waters.

A little grin tugged at the corners of Wade's mouth. "The next one eh?" He rubbed his hand across her belly. "Let's see how we get on with the first one before we go planning the Von Trap Family." He smiled into her neck as she turned into him, hooking her arms up under his shoulders. "Not that I haven't thought about the Kinsella football team. We could play girls v boys on weekends." He laughed as she dug her fingers into his side, menacingly.

"If you wanna push them all out then you're welcome baby." She growled. "Three max."

"Three or four." Wade pushed, knowing he was winding her up.

"Agree to disagree?" Zoe asked as he took his finger to tilt her chin up to meet his lips.

"Always." Wade smiled into the kiss as he felt the bump between them, inexplicably joining them closer than they had ever been before.

A tap on her shoulder, pulled Zoe from her dizzy daydreams as Wade kissed her senseless in the airport arrivals area. "Mom!" She yelped, disentangling herself from her boyfriend as she gave her mother the obligatory hug.

"Wade. Pleasure as always." Candice Hart shook his hand, maintaining a professional distance at all times. "You look wonderful Zoe, glowing." She gave her daughter the once over as Wade picked up her bags and followed the two women towards the parking lot.

"Thanks Mom." Zoe twisted her fingers together nervously as she walked in silence by her mother. Words were not their strong suit, well unless they were screamed and lots of doors were slammed in the process. She had always struggled to have her mother understand her, to stay rational on those rare occasions that Zoe had opened up to her. Their last real 'moment' had been when Candice had shared with Zoe about her indecision about whether to keep Baby Zoe. Of course Zoe had called her mother to tell her that she had decided to keep the child and that her and Wade were back on track and that she was happy and healthy and doing well. Candice had been cordial, sending flowers and a congratulations card to the house but Zoe could tell something was brewing. Candice Hart was not one to keep her thoughts to herself and Zoe could just tell that some time in the next 7 days she was going to find out what was really on her mother's mind.

Wade trailed behind, dragging Candice's large suitcase and numerous other bags. "I see where you get it from." He muttered as he rubbed his back after heaving them into the trunk of Lavon's Navigator. "You wanna ride shotgun or is your Mamma gettin' the honour?" He asked as she hit him playfully on the shoulder.

"Mom's in the back already. Wouldn't let me convince her otherwise." Zoe smiled as she let Wade pull her round to the passenger side, opening the door for her, giving her a hand up and buckling the belt too.

Candice couldn't help but smile as she watched him dote on her daughter. She remembered what it felt like to be that loved, that taken care of. Harley Wilkes had been the most caring and attentive man she had ever known. The crinkle of his eyes as he smiled still haunted her dreams, the same face she saw in her daughter. All of his talk about the infamous Bluebell, Candice heard it from Zoe now. She really was a Wilkes.

Wade and Zoe chattered in the front of the car, oblivious to Candice as she let the noise wash over her. "So the scan's on Wednesday. Brick gave me the afternoon off but I'll be on call that night, are you working late too?" Zoe asked as she rubbed her hand up and down Wade's leg absent-mindedly.

"I'm workin' the mornin' shift and then Wanda's coverin' for me the rest of the day. I can drive you if you get a call or somethin'. You know how I hate you bein' out late all by yourself on these roads." He turned to look at her, his fingers intertwining with hers as their eyes connected.

Zoe rolled her eyes. Wade had always been protective of her but since finding out she was pregnant he had really upped the ante. "Okay but you'll be waiting in the car this time. I am not having another Marsh Twins debacle." They both smirked as they recalled the night that Wade had insisted he go into the house with Zoe as she delivered the Marsh twins. After a difficult labour as Zoe asked Wade to hand her the foreceps he had accidentally caught a glimpse of the crowning head and vomited all over his shoes. "You will be staying in the waiting room when I deliver." Zoe laughed as she squeezed his hand.

"I couldn't agree more babe." Wade laughed, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head as she leaned against him. "I'll be waiting with a cigar, ready to sign the birth certificate and I can see Little Kinsella all fresh and clean and un-placentaey."

"That's not a word Wade." Zoe chuckled as she rubbed a hand over the top of her bump. "Bubba's kicking again." She smoothed her palm flat over her skin feeling the newly familiar butterflies as her baby moved inside her. "Hey Mom, did Wade tell you I think we're expecting a football player. They kick so hard, gotta be a quarterback."

Candice smiled at her daughter, watching her face animate as she discussed the baby's movements and rested her hand lovingly on Wade's arm. She chuckled at the way Zoe mixed her Yankee twang with Wade's southern drawl, dropping her letters here and there as she spoke. Taking in more of her daughters appearance Candice was pleased that Zoe hadn't changed from being the clothes horse that she'd always known and loved. Swapping clothes had been something of a pastime for them as she'd grown up, always stealing vintage pieces from Candice's wardrobe and trading them for her latest Barney's purchase. Sure she was a little more casual than Candice normally saw her, wearing flats instead of her trademark skyscraper heels but that was more a medical issue than a fashion prerogative. Her growing bump was visible under a white chiffon blouse and she wore slim fitting black pants with her little red ballerina pumps. Besides her bump you couldn't tell she was pregnant. She was one of those lucky mother's who only put weight on where it counted, from the back you couldn't tell she was pregnant, her ankles hadn't swollen and none of the weight had gone on her face. Her bust was a little fuller than usual but Candice didn't suppose that would really harm her flat-chested daughter. She was sure Wade wouldn't be complaining either.

"Mom, Wade and I thought this week or however long you're staying would be a good opportunity for us to test out living together. So you'll have the Carriage House to yourself." Zoe turned in her seat to face her mother, gnawing nervously on her lip as she waited for her mother's reaction. Candice's brow furrowed, exactly the same as Zoe's did when she was upset or angry. "I'll be like a hundred feet away at Wade's and we'll still be eatin' all our meals together and hanging out and stuff…just sleeping arrangements and all. I mean I can hardly lie still at night. If we were sharin' a bed then I'd drive you crazy." Zoe babbled, trying to fill the awkward silence that was ebbing through the car.

Candice forced a smile and placed her hand over Zoe's. "It's fine honey. I know you two need your space, I just hope you'll let me see you more than last time I visited." She said, just a hint of hurt in her voice.

Wade gritted his teeth and gripped the wheel tighter. He knew that Candice Hart was a master at guilt tripping her daughter but he hadn't thought she'd start so soon into the trip. Feeling Zoe's fingers on his knee, squeezing it reassuringly he smiled. Her mother usually put her in such a tailspin Wade didn't know how Zoe was managing to cope with her fully fledged 'Momster'.

"You'll see me plenty Mom." Zoe rolled her eyes. "I'm only working mornings and some on call shifts this week. Brick said he didn't want me to miss out on your visit." She admitted, skipping the part of her and Brick's conversation where she'd accused him of trying to torture her by making sure she spent as much time with her Mom as possible. They had always had a difficult relationship. Zoe had never had the relationship she'd really longer for with her mother, flying off the handle when Candice tried to gloss over her various motherly indiscretions as if Zoe's frustrations were petty and childish. She got wound up quickly and holiday visits were never a fun time but she was determined that this one would be different. There were no holiday related obligations, no reason for this visit other than to settle old differences and make nice for when Candice's grandbaby arrived. 'I can do this' Zoe thought to herself as she fixed the smile onto her face. 'It's just a week, I can do this.'


	9. Chapter 9: Not Tonight

**Thanks so much to all my reviewers for the last chapter: jellybean96, rosy19, scarlet3086 and Celia Toma :) thanks for all your cute little words. and kbc04070911 and daisesndaffidols I agree Candice is hard work, but soooo much fun to write! and to Jessers113 and emelietsao thanks for reading my whole story and liking it enough to review :) means so much to me to get positive feedback!**

**So yeah! thanks!**

**Sorry it was longer than I said it would be for an update. My course at Uni just got craaaaazy busy so instead of writing fanfic I learned the origins, insertions, activiations and actions of every single muscle in the trunk, legs and feet of the human body. FYI...there are a lot.**

**This is my release! Enjoy! (The bits in italics are either a flashback or a dream by the way)**

* * *

Wade emerged from the bathroom, a smile playing on his lips as he watched Zoe clambering into his bed wearing only a thin camisole and pair of his blue striped boxers. God she was hot. Even with her protruding belly, tight against the white cotton camisole he couldn't think of anyone he'd rather share a bed with. She wriggled down under the duvet, sighing as her head hit the pillow and her chocolate locks fanned out around her face. Wade reached for the button on his jeans and slowly peeled them off, slipping into bed beside her and pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "God your Mamma is one tough piece of work." He groaned as he lay on his stomach on the bed, one eye open to watch her.

Zoe nodded tersely as she ran through the past few days in her head. "She misses me." Zoe offered up as an excuse. Wade's raised eyebrow made her chuckle. "Okay so she's a bit of a nightmare, she wants to spend every waking moment together and she gives me a hard time about what food I eat, the clothes I wear, what OBGYN I'm seeing, how I don't want to breastfeed and how I'm…oh yeah how did she put it 'only dating a bartender'." Zoe sulked, sticking out her bottom lip. "Why can't she just go home already?" Wade sighed deeply, shutting his eyes and listening to Zoe continue to complain about her mother. "I guess it was kinda funny to see her meet Burt for the first time." Zoe giggled as she rolled in towards him, pressing her chest tightly against his. "…and seeing Lavon chasing around after her." She kissed the tip of his nose, her hands on his chest.

"Mmmm." Wade mumbled as he looked off into the distance over Zoe's head. She continued her path of kisses, trailing across his cheek, jaw, neck and chest as her hands brushed the top of his boxers. "Not now Zo." He pushed her hand away, realising what she was doing as he reached around her to turn off the bedside lamp. "Not tonight."

* * *

"_You will never be good enough for my daughter. I will never understand what she sees in you." Candice Hart spoke quietly but in a tone that Wade knew meant he shouldn't mess with her. That woman had some serious balls. _

"_I know you think that." Wade gritted his teeth. "But she loves me and I love her. I know I'm not good enough for her but I will spend every day of my life trying to prove to her that I can be that guy. I love your daughter and I won't let anyone come between us." He narrowed his eyes at Candice._

"_Prove it then." She spat at him, gesturing around the shabby gatehouse. "What have you got to offer Zoe that she won't get elsewhere?" _

_Wade looked wildly around the gatehouse, his mouth opening and shutting slowly. "I…I…" _

"_You've got nothing to offer my daughter besides a life of disappointment and misery, stuck in a town in the back of beyond, with a sub standard career, a bastard child and a hick boyfriend who can't even provide for her." Candice said icily as she walked towards Wade, jabbing a finger in his chest. _

_Wade threw his head back and laughed mirthlessly. "You're just bitter that Zoe chose the life you didn't want for her, the life you kept her from when you lied to Ethan about Zoe's paternity all those years. You can't stand the fact that Zoe loves Harley's life more than she loved the one she had with you. I remind you of him don't I? Of Harley?" _

_Candice stamped her foot angrily, Wade smirked remembering the familiar action Zoe also performed during an argument she was losing. "Southern men do nothing but waste your time." She ground her teeth together, knowing that Wade was right. He did remind her a little of Harley, she saw how Zoe looked at Wade and remembered a time when she'd looked at the love of her life like that too. _

"_I'm doing anything but wasting your daughter's time." Wade said softly as his eyes landed on the wooden jewellery box on the mantelpiece. _

"_Do you honestly see yourself with my Zoe for the rest of your life?" Candice sank to the sofa, resting her chin on her hand as she watched Wade smile, far off in a daydream already. _

_In that moment he saw her in all her incarnations. He saw her in the hospital holding their baby, in five years with a baby on her hip as Wade held their other child in his arms, he saw her walking towards him down the aisle dressed in white, he saw her crying on their eldest's first day of school, playdates and chaperoning parties, waving their babies off to college, their first grandchild, sitting on the porch swing at 80 reminiscing about the good old days. "Yeah…I can." His voice hitched as his eyes rested again on the jewellery box. "It may be in a month or in a year or in 5 but I'm going to ask Zoe to marry me…and she's going to say yes." Wade smiled as he lifted his mother's old ring from the box. "My Momma told me to give this to the girl who made my heart feel like it was going to burst. I know I've found that girl." _

_Tears pricked Candice's eyes as she saw Wade talk about Zoe. "I don't understand you Wade but clearly Zoe does. I won't stand in your way any longer." She said as she rose to her feet, her hand on the door knob as her eyes connected with his._

* * *

He knew Candice had finally accepted their love but what she'd said was still getting to him. It was true. He couldn't provide for her like George or Judson could have. His bartender's salary was meagre to say the least and he wasn't exactly getting any younger. A weight pressed down on his chest as he thought forwards to bills and mortgages, scraping together the money for diapers and formula in the short term and then college funds and weddings. How could he provide for his family let alone Zoe? Her hands were stroking his chest, teasing him, trying to distract him and he snapped at her.

Tears sprung up in the corners of her eyes as she rolled away from him in the darkness. "You don't find me attractive any more do you?" He heard her ask quietly, choking on a sob from the other side of the bed.

"Baby." Wade groaned as he turned to face her, seeing only her back shuddering slightly from her silent tears. "Baby it's not that."

She sat up, her hands on her bump as she glared at him. "We haven't had sex in weeks Wade. You haven't asked for it, haven't initiated it. Do you think I don't know what's going on? You've got someone else don't you?"

A lump formed in Wade's throat as she accused him of the one thing that hadn't crossed his mind since that night nearly a year ago when she'd asked him to be her 'for real out in public, everyone knows about actual boyfriend.' "That's what you think? You think that little of me?" He asked, hurt.

"I know you Wade." Zoe grimaced as another tear ran down her cheek.

"Clearly." Wade spat as he turned away from her, yanking the blankets up over his body as she sat in silence.

"Fine! Fine be that way!" Zoe screamed suddenly, throwing the covers off her and storming from the gate house.

Wade pulled the little black velvet box from the top drawer of his bedside cabinet, turning it over in his hands a few times before he pried the lid open and removed the heirloom. It had been his mother's, and before that her grandmother's. It had been passed down this way for generations and on her deathbed Jacqueline had made him promise that if he ever found a girl he loved enough to move heaven and earth for, he would give her that ring. Zoe Hart was that girl.

The cool night air whipped around her tiny body as she stomped up the gravel path towards the main house, her feet carrying her while her mind ran detached. Stomping up the steps into the kitchen Zoe pulled jars and packets haphazardly from the cupboards, slamming a bowl down on the counter so hard she thought it might shatter. She heard footsteps on the stairs and stilled her movements, her hands splaying out over the cool granite worktop. "Zoe?" Lavon asked sleepily as he fumbled for the light switch, plunging the room into fluorescent light as she blinked uncomfortably at him.

"Turn it off." She pleaded, looking up at him with her red puffy eyes, tears still glistening in them. Lavon reached for the dimmer switch and turned the lights down but not off. He was worried about her. Reaching for her, he felt her fall into his embrace, her tiny body dwarfed by his big frame. He held her for what felt like hours, her cheek pressed to his chest as he rubbed her back, feeling her bump between them. "Thanks Lavon." She said, her voice dry and scratchy. "I don't know what I'd do without you…"

"Zo…has something…did you and Wade?"

Zoe nodded, tears sparkling in her eyes once again. "We had a dumb fight. He…I…we…" She trailed off, fidgeting uncomfortably from one foot to another. "He didn't want to sleep with me…he pushed me away." She admitted as she flushed from her toes to the roots of her hair.

Lavon rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable with her disclosure but knowing she needed him right now. "Zoe he's not cheatin'. He wouldn't." Lavon placed his hand on her arm, comforting her.

"Then why doesn't he want me?" Zoe wailed as she sank down onto the couch, resting her forehead on her knees as the tears trickled down her cheeks.

Sitting heavily down beside her on the couch Lavon wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pondered his answer, an answer which never came. They sat in a companionable silence for a while as Zoe's sobs turned to sniffles and eventually into calmer more even breaths. Lavon held her close, feeling the warmth of her seeping through his shirt. He felt comfortable with Zoe, like a sister but her presence here and their closeness reminded him of all he was missing in his life. Didi and he had parted ways over a month before and he missed her company even if he didn't miss her so much. He missed having someone to share his day with, to cook dinner for, to cuddle up with on the couch. Zoe wasn't his girl, she had Wade for all those things now and he didn't begrudge the other man for one second. Still, it was nice to hold a woman in his arms and fell her need for him, however platonic it might be.

Her breathing evened out and he heard her inhale deeply, a tiny snore escaping from between her parted lips. Lavon rolled his eyes slightly, he knew Zoe wouldn't thank him for siding with Wade in their age old argument about whether Zoe did or did not snore. She was adamant that she didn't, he was adamant she did. Looks like Wade was right this time. Scooping Zoe up under her knees, Lavon hoisted her to his chest and carried her easily up the stairs to the guest room. As he lay her down on the bed, pulling off her gumboots and tucking her under the covers her eyes opened slightly and he felt her reach for his hand. "I just want him to hold me, to tell me he loves me and that he still thinks I'm beautiful. Is that too much to ask?" She questioned softly, her brow creasing as she tried to keep her tears inside.

Lavon's resolve crumbled and he took hold of her outstretched hand. "I know I'm no Wade but I love you like a sister Zoe and I think you get more and more beautiful every day." He whispered as he leaned forwards and pressed a kiss tenderly to her forehead. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

_Wade stood at the window, his breath fogging up the glass as he watched the little scene in front of him play out. It was Christmas morning and Zoe was curled up on the sofa in a pair of snowflake print jammies, matching the little girl with cascading curly brown locks who was tucked up in her arms in a snowflake onesie. "You ready for your presents Harley?" He heard Zoe ask as the little girl squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down on Zoe's knee. _

_The four year old slipped to the floor and began tearing at the brightly coloured wrapping paper on the floor of the lounge. "Mommy where's Waaaaaade." Harley asked as she looked up at her mother with the same big brown eyes Wade saw every time Zoe wanted something. His heart caught in his throat as he realised his daughter wasn't calling him Daddy. George Tucker moved into the picture from the kitchen, the kitchen that Wade had built from scratch for Zoe. _

"_Daddy where's Wade?" Harley asked again as he watched George put his hand on Zoe's shoulder. _

_George coughed uncomfortably as he sat down beside Zoe and pressed a kiss to her protruding belly. "Wade won't be coming around any more Harls, him and Mommy still love you very much though. We're going to be a family now, you, me, Mommy and the babies." He ran his hand over her swollen tummy. _

"_But…but I like Waaaaade, Daddy." Harley pouted, the spitting image of Zoe from the way she pronounced his name, to her hands on her little hips and the sceptical look on her face. _

_Wade turned away from the window, the pain of watching his little girl call George Tucker "Daddy" too much to bear._

* * *

Wade sat up in bed, gasping for air as he realised he was having a nightmare. He reached across the bed for Zoe, trying to seek comfort in her warm embrace longing to run his hand across her bump and hear her whisper soothing words to him as his breathing and heart rate calmed. But she wasn't there. The sweat on his skin turned as cold as ice as he grappled with the bed sheets, trying desperately to find her. He flicked on the light switch and saw the corner of the covers turned back, her gumboots missing from by the door. Then it all came flooding back to them, pushing her away, fighting with her, her accusation, storming off. Where was she?

He leapt out of bed, pulling on jeans and a shirt haphazardly as he stuffed his feet deep into his boots and tore from the gatehouse. "Zoe?" He called as he stood on the porch. "Zo?" There was no reply, he had hoped she would be curled up in one of the deck chairs, sulking as she waited for him to come and apologise. Who was he kidding? It had gone way beyond one of their stupid little quarrels. He strode up the path to Lavon's and yanked open the kitchen door, crossing the room in a few steps as he turned to look around.

"She's sleeping." He heard a voice say from the couch as he scanned the darkened room. "I wouldn't wake her if I was you."

"I have to see her. I have to know she's ok." Wade protested with his hand still on the doorknob as Lavon turned to face him.

"She doesn't want to see you." Lavon sighed as he rubbed his hand tiredly across his face. "I don't want to get in the middle but you really need to leave her be tonight. You fucked up man and she's real hurt."

Wade swallowed that truth like a bitter pill, it felt so much worse to hear it from their friend with his cool and honest words. "I…I know." Wade grimaced as he dropped his hand back to his side. "She's all over the place these days with those hormones and all…it makes our fights a hundred times worse."

Lavon nodded, willing Wade to keep going. "I…her Momma's been on my case." He admitted eventually. "I know I'm not good enough for her, never will be but I honestly thought we were past all that. I know money will be tight for us what with me jus' bein' a bartender but I thought that didn't matter to Zoe no more. She ain't bought a pair of those fancy shoes in months! I jus' I panicked and it was all weighin' on my mind and then she was wantin' to get all freaky and I jus' couldn't…not tonight when I couldn't give her all my attention. I didn't want that. I wanted her to feel special." He groaned as he rested his elbows on the kitchen counter. "What should I do Lavon?"

"Lavon Hayes does not get involved in other people's love lives." He said gruffly. "But I do know you need to tell Zoe how you're feelin' 'cause keepin' it all inside you is doin' nobody any good. Least of all Zoe and the baby."

"I just…I've been thinkin' about askin' her to marry me and it's scarin' me shitless." Wade said slowly, wishing he could take the words back as soon as he'd said them as Lavon's eyes bugged out of his head.

"You said what?" The major jumped to his feet.

"I said I want to marry her."


	10. Chapter 10: Distraction

**Sorry for such a long delay between chapters! I've been struggling to get momentum with this fic especially with everything that happened in the show! Here's chapter 10, hopefully I'll get onto chapter 11 in the next week or so! **

**Xx**

"I want to marry her…"

Lavon's arms were round Wade's neck before he could look up, feeling strong hands clap him jovially on the back as Lavon whooped in excitement. "About time!" He grinned as he held Wade away from him.

Wade rolled his eyes half heartedly as Lavon bounced up and down on his toes, unable to contain his glee. "Yeah well somehow I don't think she's gonna say yes anytime soon." Wade groaned as he brought himself back to earth with a bump. "She's not in my bed and I can't seem to get all this stupid pressure stuff outta my head."

"Now is not the time for poetry man." Lavon joked as he flopped back down onto the sofa, the excitement wearing off as he realised that Wade was right. Zoe was more than just pissed off, if Wade did something stupid like propose to her now he doubted very much if it would have a happy ending. "You gotta apologise, real good though cause you know Zoe's a sucker for you sayin' you were wrong."

Wade chewed on a hangnail nervously as he thought about winning Zoe back. He hadn't seen her that mad in a while, not since he'd told Brick that she was still wearing high heels just not on days she knew he'd see her. After the lecture on back pain and undue stress to the baby he'd given her, Zoe hadn't spoken to Wade in three days. He'd endured that pain because he knew he deserved it. He shouldn't have ratted her out, he just didn't like the disapproving look Brick had given him when Wade had said how he'd have to see if a baby seat would fit in the back of his Camero. Still, this time it was because he had been thinking about really committing to a girl for the first time in his life and not in a wholly unpleasant train of thought. He was thinking about how good it would be for them all to be under the one surname, to have their own little family, a cottage with a white picket fence, a swing in the garden, maybe a puppy. Sure he was worried as hell about money, his career (or rather lack of it) and how Zoe would feel about being a main breadwinner and having to support them but he never once doubted that it was the life he wanted, or the one their kid deserved.

"I know." He said eventually. "I'll do it in the mornin' can you jus'…you know butter her up for me or somethin'? Make her all happy the way you do before I get to her and make her all grouchy again." Wade pleaded as Lavon smirked at him.

"My, my, Wade Kinsella not able to please the ladies. There's a first."

The sunlight was streaming in through the open curtains as Zoe's eyes fluttered open. She took in her unfamiliar surroundings, the white painted walls, navy bedspread and lack of anything remotely sentimental in her life wigging her out a little. "Wade?" She called groggily as her hands lovingly cradled her bump, rolling onto her side and tucking her knees up. There was a gentle knock on the door and Lavon poked his head around.

"Not Wade." He smiled warmly at her as he held a mug of herbal tea out to her.

"Just as well." Zoe grumbled as she recalled the events of the night before while Lavon attempted to help her sit upright, surrounded by numerous pillows as she sipped at her tea. Lavon stayed quiet as he watched her mind ticking over. "I'm sorry…about last night. I know I shouldn't bring you into our problems, it's not your responsibility to fix us." She placed her hand over his and squeezed.

Lavon almost laughed out loud at the thought that he could be anything else but hopelessly tangled in Zoe and Wade's love life. That was the way it was and always had been. He wouldn't have it any other way. "Zoe you know you're welcome here no matter what time of day or night it is, there is always a shoulder for you to cry on or a bed for you to sleep in. I've known from the start that you and Wade were made for each other, you guys fought it long and hard but you finally realised it too. I was there at the start and I'm gonna be there at the end, when you're both in a care home bickering about who's turn it is at Scrabble." Lavon said passionately, not for the first time wishing he had found a love like theirs.

Stunned by Lavon's outburst it was all Zoe could do to squeeze his hand appreciatively. A single tear trickled down her cheek and she laughed as he swiped it away with his thumb. "Damn hormones!" She chuckled as she sniffed loudly.

"Yeah…Wade said that too." Lavon rolled his eyes, realising his mistake as soon as the words had escaped his lips. Raising one eyebrow Zoe took a long sip of tea. Lavon coughed nervously as the heavily pregnant brunette eyed him dangerously. "Wade may have come over last night after you dozen off." He elaborated as he met her eyes hopefully. "He's real sorry and wants the chance to show you how much you mean to him. He ain't cheatin' Zo. He swore blind on his Momma's grave."

Zoe nodded, feeling her chest tighten at the very thought of last night's explosions. "I know he's sorry. I just don't know if I'm ready to hear it yet." She sighed as she met Lavon's pitiful expression. "Is this how it's going to be between us for the rest of our lives? He messes up, I get mad, we say things we don't mean, he apologises and we start all over again? How many chances does one person get, how many do they deserve?"

He would deny it until his dying day but Lavon's throat became tight, his heart sinking as he watched one half of the most in love couple he'd ever met admit her doubts. "Don't say that Zo. You love him. You know you do."

Through her tears Zoe nodded. "I know I love him. I just worry about the baby's future. I don't want them to have the childhood I had." She said as she rubbed her belly, feeling Little Kinsella move against her the familiar butterflies now a reassuring indication that they were doing just swell in there. "My parents fought constantly and I grew up feeling like I was the cause of all the pain, caught in the middle of their battles."

"Nobody's parents are perfect Big Z. It took me thirty odd years to find that out about my own folks but it's true. No relationship is perfect. It's not supposed to be." Lavon murmured as he stood up, affectionately cupping Zoe's cheek in his palm. "I'll make you pancakes."

"I think you're pretty perfect." Zoe smirked at him. "…and if Lemon and Didi and Ruby can't see that, well than I think they're pretty dumb." Lavon just smiled serenely back at her, pretending that it didn't mean the world to him to hear someone say that these things, they weren't all his fault. That he wasn't entirely unlovable.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs however Lavon found Wade tapping his foot, his expression uncannily like Zoe's was when she had a bone to pick with him. "What was that all about?" Wade hissed in an exasperated whisper. "I think you're pretty perfect." He used his fingers in air quotes. "You're meant to be buttering her up about me…not you! What you playin' at?"

Lavon laughed and dragged Wade backwards by the arm into the relative safety of his kitchen. "Nothin'…just havin' a little bromance with your future wife."

"Yeah that better be all there is between you. I know where you live Dude and don't forget who helped you train that gator of yours." Wade joked, snorting at his own joke at the very thought of Burt Reynolds being anything but plain old lazy. At the very most he would probably snap playfully at your heels as he waited for you to feed him some more gumbo. Lavon waved his hand dismissively.

"You just don't like Lavon Hayes being your woman's confidant."

Wade narrowed his eyes again. "What she say about me?" He asked shrewdly.

"Nothin' Lavon Hayes cares to repeat…or hear for that matter." Lavon wrinkled his nose as he recalled the many conversations that he'd been forced to sit though as Zoe reminded him he 'was the only girlfriend she had in this town'. Like he needed reminding.

"Sexual things?" Wade pressed, a smirk playing at his lips now. "Cause Dude I'm telling you, that girl is all kinds of crazy in the sack. Seriously she's like a hundred damn shades of gray!"

Lavon was saved from replying by the arrival of Candice Hart in the kitchen, putting paid to any more of Wade's lewd comments. Although certain that Zoe's mother had been far too wrapped up in her own troubles to have paid any attention to the tail end of their conversation, Wade slunk out of the kitchen and down the porch steps leaving Lavon alone with her. "Zoe here?" Candice asked as she watched Wade stroll back down the gravel path. "Or is she still holed up at Wade's? I tell you I haven't seen hide nor hair of that girl lately." Recalling Zoe's previous few outbursts about her mother, her meddling and her occasional forthright criticism of Wade – Lavon decided it was best not to disclose any details of Zoe and Wade's latest antics.

"Nope not seen her. Sure she's up and about somewhere, maybe at the practice?" Lavon suggested as he poured Candice some coffee in a travel mug and placed a blueberry muffin in her outstretched hand. "You can take the Navigator if you like?" He dangled his keys in front of her face.

Candice smiled at the more than obliging NFL star. "Well aren't you just a dear this morning, but I think I'll walk. Get some fresh air, see the sights that Zoe's always talking about."

"Moaning about more like." Lavon muttered under his breath as Candice breezed out of the kitchen, letting the door swing shut behind her.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you." Zoe grinned from the doorway, her head resting lazily against the frame as she finished buttoning up one of his shirts that she'd found in the freshly laundered pile on his hamper. Even at twenty two weeks pregnant she was dwarfed by it, although he feared a little for the straining buttons around her belly. She chuckled as she padded across the kitchen. "I can't believe you managed to get rid of my Mom…she's like a bloodhound for these kinda things. She can smell an argument a mile off."

Lavon rolled his eyes at Zoe's tendency towards the melodramatic. "Nice to be appreciated." He smiled as she jabbed her fork lazily at one of his pancakes. "So are you gonna play nice with Wade or do you two need a chaperone?"

"I don't know if I'm ready to hear it yet." Zoe admitted as she chewed nervously on her lip. "If it's not that he's cheating or doesn't find me attractive any more then what is with him? This isn't nothing Lavon. He's hiding something and I don't think I can…I don't think we can take any more bad news right now." She rubbed her thumb in gentle circles over her bump as she felt it kick. Lavon felt his insides squirm, hating that he could assuage her fears so quickly but knowing that if he spilled this secret that Wade would never forgive him. Sometimes being caught in the middle sucked.

Lavon blew out a breath and stood tall. "It's your call Big Z but I'm sure he's just got a lot on his mind with the baby and all. Talk to him. He deserves that if nothing else."

Several hours later as she finished up with a patient, Zoe sank heavily into her chair. Between the heat, the pregnancy and the stuffy practice she was beat. The pen she'd been using to update her case file drooped lazily in her grip as she doodled in the margins. "Doctor Hart? Are you busy?" Addie called from the doorway, watching as the young doctor scrabbled at her file to make herself look more productive.

"A little." Zoe lied, smiling sweetly at Addie. Addie just rolled her eyes.

"She's free Wade."

"Hey Sweetie…I must have missed you earlier." Wade grinned shyly at her as he pulled the door to.

Zoe stood up, trying to fold her arms under her chest but her belly got in the way and she scowled, settling her hands on her hips instead. "Don't 'Hey Sweetie' me. I don't even think I want to talk to you right now." She huffed as he stalked slowly towards her.

"You don't _think _you wanna talk to me…or you _don't_ wanna talk to me?" He asked slyly as he watched her turn her back on him and pretend to rearrange the books on the shelf behind her.

"I don't wanna talk to you Wade. What you did last night really hurt me. You don't know how hard this is for me…to see my body changing. I may never look the way I used to and…and I'm scared that you won't love me with the scars and stretch marks and for one night I just wanted to feel good about myself and you couldn't even let me have that, could you?"

She was winding herself up again and Wade could tell he was in the firing line for another explosion if he didn't act fast. He grabbed hold of her elbows and did the only thing he knew would shut her up. His lips tackled hers, his hand supporting the back of her head as he kissed her passionately and felt her body yielding to his. Then her palm collided with the side of his face and all he could feel was the stinging burn of his skin and the shame creeping up on him. "Do you really think that's going to fix us Wade?" Zoe scowled at him as she drew her thumb across her bottom lip. "That was such a punk ass move Kinsella! We're having a baby now! We can't just avoid our issues and kiss and make up like everything is fine!"

"I know, I know." Wade muttered as he stared down at his beat up shoes. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah you better be." Zoe sighed as she ran her hand tiredly through her hair. She unlocked the little used back exit from her office and stepped out onto the back stoop, putting as much distance between herself and Wade as she could. Regardless of what she'd just said and how much she agreed with what she'd said…she couldn't deny that that kiss had got her hot under the collar and if she occupied the same space, breathed the same air, smelt that familiar cologne for one second longer she wouldn't be responsible for throwing herself at him and nullifying her previous statement. She was pregnant, there, she at least could blame her basal impulsive urges on something besides just being plain old horny. Wade…well he was Wade. Did he really need an excuse?

Inside, Wade was standing in her office. Alone. He looked around a little, never having really spent any time in the room by himself. He was admittedly normally so distracted with Zoe's drama when they were in here that he hadn't really noticed how little had changed since it had been Harley's office. She'd kept the family pictures, his old files, the skeleton in the corner which Wade knew Harley secretly called Bob. Of course there were items that belonged to her littering the room, her purse on the end of the desk, a Burberry trench coat that Wade knew had been a graduation gift to herself on the coat rack but it was surprising how little of this room was 'Zoe' given how personal the décor in the carriage house was. Maybe this was just her way of getting to grips with a father she never got the chance to know. Wade felt the lump in his throat grow bigger, adamant that they would – could – work this damn thing out because no child of his was going to grow up not knowing who their Daddy was.

Realising that Zoe wasn't going to come back inside Wade sighed, deciding that giving her space may be just what she needed right now and he was going to respect her wishes…for now. He scrawled a quick note on a pink pad of paper and left it under her coffee cup – which he hoped to god was not full of coffee. The last thing he wanted was a tiny caffeinated version of his crazy girlfriend, Zoe 2.0.

_I know you're mad and you have every right to be._

_I want to fix things Baby._

_Come home tonight?_

_XxW_

Zoe's fingers curled around the scrap of pale pink paper as she finished reading. She really wanted to forgive him, to jump straight back into his loving arms and let him tell her that everything was going to be alright and nothing was wrong. She wanted to but she couldn't. There was something wrong even if he wouldn't admit it. He had been quiet, distant and when he looked at her there was something in his eyes, something that looked a lot like fear. She didn't know if he was having second thoughts about the baby or her…or both of them but now was not the time to panic. Not when there was nothing left that could be done. She thought about his behaviour over the last few days and then realised that it wasn't days that this had been going on for, but weeks. The niggling doubts in the back of Zoe's mind grew and grew until she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Candice stood in the doorway watching her daughter pull herself back to reality. "Addie said you were done for the day, I thought you might want to go get a mani/pedi in this darling little place in Mobile that I found?"

Zoe felt her head nodding of its own accord as she tried to engage her brain. "Sure Mom." Zoe forced a little smile as she picked up her bag and followed her mother from the practice. "It might just be a welcome distraction."

"Just like old times." Candice sighed happily as her feet slid into the warm basin of soapy water. Zoe wriggled her toes and leaned her head back against the chair. It was a little like old times when they'd at least made an attempt at mother-daughter bonding. "Well not quite like old times." She pointed at Zoe's burgeoning bump and laughed. "You didn't have one of those at sixteen."

Zoe rolled her eyes but instinctively placed her hands under her bump. "I might as well enjoy being able to see my feet while it lasts." She grumbled. "I'm beginning to feel a little more like a beached whale with every day."

"Zoe!" Candice scolded her. "You're not a whale, you look beautiful." She watched as her daughter struggle to accept the compliment, reminded of times when as a teenager Zoe had shied away from admiring gazes and had covered up her body as much as possible, uncomfortable with her developing figure. She looked glum. She was glowing, her cheeks had a healthy pink tinge to them and pregnancy really seemed to suit her but there was no denying that her smile didn't quite reach her eyes and she hadn't mentioned Wade all day. "I think we should go shopping after." Candice announced, only getting a grumble in reply.

A few hours later as Candice perused yet another store, trailing Zoe behind her, she picked up a little yellow sundress. "What do you think Zoe?"

"I think it would look a little odd on my kid if it's a boy." She sighed as she returned the dress to its hanger. "We've only got a few more days to wait until we find out the sex. Can't you just hold off on the clothes until then Mom?"

"Well what about you then? Surely you won't be fitting into your normal clothes much longer?" Candice led her in the direction of the maternity clothes. "That bump won't hide behind Harvey Leger and Proenza Schouler forever Honey."

As she stood in the dressing room, glaring critically at her body in the mirror Zoe let a few tears dribble down her cheeks. In the fluorescent lighting of the store she could see every line, every bump and dimple. Her ankles were a little swollen, her hips a little fleshier, her skin taught around her bump with a few snaking white stretch marks already creeping across the skin, her breasts spilled out over her bra and she sank to her knees. "Zoe I thought this would look good on you." Candice barged through the curtain and stopped, frozen as she watched her daughter crumpled on the floor with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Baby, what's wrong?" She asked as she knelt down beside her.

"Wade doesn't love me like he used to…because…because I'm fat." Zoe wailed as she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.

"Shhh, shhh honey. I'm sure he still loves you. Everybody's body changes during pregnancy, you just have to adapt to it." She shushed her, softly rubbing circles on her back as she soothed her trembling daughter.

Zoe sniffed loudly and tried to wipe the mascara from her cheeks. "I'm being stupid Mom. Just ignore me."

It was Candice's turn to snort. "If there's one thing you are not Zoe Hart, it is stupid. You have been fashionable all your life and pregnancy will not stop you feeling good about yourself. First things first we need to get you a decent bra, for the love of God darling you've been wanting bigger breasts since the minute you hit puberty. You have to help them out a little." Candice pointed at Zoe's chest as she guided her backwards into armchair in the corner of the little room. "You wait here while I go you some things to try on."

When she returned Zoe was curled up in the chair with her feet tucked underneath her, rubbing her bump affectionately. She was going to make a great Mom. As Zoe picked through the various outfits her mother had returned with, she held up a black lace and sheer bra with matching thong. "Mother!" She squeaked as she brandished them at her.

"Yes dear?" Candice replied, unfazed. "You may be pregnant but it doesn't mean the romance is gone right?"

Zoe felt her face heat up as she thought of the last few times her and Wade had made the effort to have sex. It was more of a pyjama pants lazily tugged down affair than sexy lingerie and seduction. "We uh…we haven't really had sex in a while." She admitted as she turned her back to her Mom, trying on some of the other clothes.

"Your choice or his?"

"Both I guess. He hasn't asked for it and most of the time I haven't felt like it. Except…" Zoe tailed off, her back still to Candice.

"Except…when you fought about it last night?" Her mother filled in gently. Zoe nodded. "You know men over think things right? He's probably just got a lot on his mind. Stress does not put you in the mood for sex just like feeling bloated and unhappy with your body does to you."

She'd really hit the nail on the head this time.

"Why don't you stay at the Carriage House with me tonight? Sleep in your own bed and let Wade have some time to clear his head. You can kiss and make up in the morning." Zoe smiled at her mother. Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea after all.


End file.
